Three Silicon Valley engineers, alleged Iranian nationals, were indicted for stealing tech trade secrets from Google and others, sending them to Iran.

Three Silicon Valley engineers, including a former Google employee and her husband and sister, were indicted on charges of stealing trade secrets from Google and other tech firms, allegedly transferring sensitive data on mobile processors and cryptography to Iran. The U.S. Department of Justice accused them of using their access to confidential information, routing data through messaging apps, copying files to personal devices, and attempting to erase digital traces. Google detected the breach through routine monitoring and reported it. The defendants, who were arrested on February 19, face up to 20 years in prison if convicted on charges including conspiracy, theft of trade secrets, and obstruction of justice. The case underscores federal efforts to protect American technological innovation from foreign exploitation.