Archive · 21 Sep 2026
US Prosecutors Accuse Huawei of Two-Decade Criminal Enterprise
Huawei is a large Chinese technology company on trial in a US federal court.
Prosecutors say the company spent about 20 years stealing trade secrets and breaking financial and sanctions laws.
They also say Huawei hid some work in Iran from banks and US authorities.
Prosecutors allege that Huawei equipment may have helped Iranian officials monitor protesters in 2009.
Huawei says any wrongdoing was committed by individual employees, not the company itself.
The company says it handled those employees internally.
The trial is expected to last about three months.
The case comes during wider disagreements between the United States and China over trade, technology, artificial intelligence, and security.
US prosecutors allege Huawei operated a criminal enterprise from about 1999 to 2020.
The charges include trade-secret theft, racketeering, money laundering, bank and wire fraud, and sanctions violations.
Prosecutors say Huawei concealed operations in Iran and moved US dollars despite sanctions.
The government also alleges Huawei supplied equipment that could help monitor Iranian protesters in 2009.
Huawei says individual employees were responsible for misconduct and prosecutors are portraying ordinary business activities as crimes.
- Who
- Huawei, US federal prosecutors, and Huawei’s defense team are the main parties; China and the United States are also involved in the wider dispute.
- What
- Huawei is facing allegations of trade-secret theft, racketeering, money laundering, bank and wire fraud, and violations of US sanctions on Iran.
- When
- The alleged misconduct reportedly occurred from about 1999 to 2020; the trial is expected to last about three months.
- Where
- The trial is taking place in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, and the allegations include Huawei’s operations in Iran.
- Why
- US prosecutors say Huawei stole trade secrets, defrauded banks, and evaded sanctions; Huawei says prosecutors are criminalizing ordinary activities and blaming the company for individual employees’ actions.
US Prosecution
Huawei Defense
Nature of the alleged conduct
US Prosecution
Prosecutors say Huawei operated a two-decade criminal enterprise involving stolen trade secrets, financial fraud, money laundering, and sanctions violations.
Huawei Defense
Huawei says prosecutors are twisting ordinary company activities to make them appear criminal.
Responsibility for misconduct
US Prosecution
The US government is prosecuting Huawei over conduct it attributes to the company, including alleged actions involving Iran.
Huawei Defense
Huawei says the incidents were carried out by individual employees whose actions were handled internally.
Iran and protest-monitoring allegations
US Prosecution
Prosecutors allege Huawei concealed its Iranian operations, moved US dollars despite sanctions, and supplied equipment that could help monitor protesters in 2009.
Huawei Defense
The article does not report a specific Huawei response to these Iran-related allegations.
- Defendant
- Huawei
- Court
- US federal court in Brooklyn
- Alleged period
- About 1999 to 2020
- Alleged offenses
- Racketeering, money laundering, bank and wire fraud, trade-secret theft, and sanctions violations
- Iran allegation
- Prosecutors say Huawei concealed operations in Iran and moved US dollars through the financial system despite sanctions
- 2009 allegation
- The government alleges Huawei supplied equipment that could help Iranian authorities monitor protesters
- Expected trial length
- About three months