Bitcoin News Today: U.S. Raids Texas Bitcoin Mine, Escalating Geopolitical Tech War Against China

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted a high-profile raid on September 29, 2025, targeting the Lonestar Dream Bitcoin mining site in Pyote, Texas, which operates an ASIC repair center affiliated with Bitmain. The operation involved multiple federal agencies, including the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Eyewitnesses described a heavily secured operation featuring helicopters, armed personnel, and law enforcement teams conducting interrogations to identify staff roles ICE raids bitcoin mine in Pyote, Texas - Yahoo Finance^[1]. Approximately 12–13 employees were detained, with sources indicating that most were Chinese nationals holding expired visas U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducts a raid on a …^[3]. The raid did not disrupt operations at nearby Genesis Digital Assets, which operates a 195 MW Bitcoin mine in the same area ICE raids bitcoin mine in Pyote, Texas - Yahoo Finance^[1].

ADW Tech, the Bitmain-affiliated repair center at Lonestar Dream, has been a focal point of federal scrutiny amid broader regulatory actions against Chinese-linked technology. The site, recently sold by Poolin, remains a critical node in the U.S. Bitcoin mining ecosystem, leveraging West Texas’s low energy costs and infrastructure. ADW Tech’s role in maintaining Antminer rigs aligns it with Bitmain’s global dominance in ASIC manufacturing, which accounts for roughly 80% of the market CBP | Detaining Bitmain S21 and T21 Bitcoin Miners …^[6]. The ICE operation reflects escalating tensions between U.S. trade policies and the cryptocurrency industry, particularly concerning supply chains tied to China.

The raid is part of a larger pattern of regulatory pressure on Bitmain and its subsidiaries. Since late 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has seized or detained thousands of Bitmain, MicroBT, and Canaan ASIC miners at ports of entry, citing potential violations of FCC regulations related to radio frequency emissions and unauthorized components. These actions are linked to investigations into Sophgo, a semiconductor firm sharing leadership with Bitmain and accused of supplying restricted AI chips to Huawei. CBP’s seizures, which have imposed holding fees exceeding $200,000 on some companies, have disrupted mining operations and raised concerns about inconsistent enforcement standards CBP | Detaining Bitmain S21 and T21 Bitcoin Miners …^[6].

Industry stakeholders highlight the broader implications for Bitcoin mining in the U.S. While some detained shipments were released by early 2025, the uncertainty surrounding customs clearances has forced companies to seek legal remedies. Synteq Digital’s CEO noted that “virtually every Asian ASIC manufacturer is being impacted,” underscoring the sector’s vulnerability to geopolitical tensions CBP | Detaining Bitmain S21 and T21 Bitcoin Miners …^[6]. The Trump administration’s emphasis on domestic Bitcoin mining—announced in July 2025—has intensified scrutiny of foreign-linked infrastructure, with CBP’s actions aligning with a strategic push to bolster U.S. technological sovereignty .

The ICE raid on Lonestar Dream underscores the intersection of immigration enforcement, trade policy, and the cryptocurrency industry. While the immediate focus remains on ADW Tech’s compliance with labor and visa regulations, the broader context of CBP’s ASIC crackdown signals a shift in federal oversight. As the U.S. seeks to balance national security concerns with the economic potential of Bitcoin mining, the sector faces heightened regulatory risks and operational costs.