DOJ charges two US citizens with conspiring to smuggle AI technology to China

Published March 25, 2026 4:59pm ET



The Department of Justice on Wednesday said two U.S. citizens and one Chinese national were charged with conspiring to commit smuggling after they illegally attempted to export cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology to China. 

According to a Justice Department press release, Stanley Yi Zheng, Matthew Kelly, and Tommy Shad English are accused of conspiring to smuggle restricted AI-related technology from the United States to China without obtaining required export licenses.

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