The smuggling operation routed hardware through Malaysia and Singapore, where US export licensing requirements are not enforced, by using fake documentation to hide the final destination. Court documents show that from January to October 2024, Earthmade received more than $176 million from two Malaysian transshipment firms to facilitate the scheme. Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg stated the National Security Division is acting to protect the American advantage in "SI" technology, which he described as the defining technology of the era.
