Federal agents raid Agiltron

Federal agents descended today on the Woburn, MA, headquarters of Agiltron Inc., a company that makes optical components, optical switches, and other photonic devices and technology for fiber-optic communications and other applications (see, for example, “Agiltron unveils reconfigurable optical components, short wavelength isolators” and “Agiltron receives funding from NIST for optical switch development”). The reason for the raid has not yet been confirmed; however, the local CBS television affiliate quoted a source as saying the raid was related to “technology export.”

According to other media reports (such as this one), the agents came from multiple agencies, including the FBI and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. The latter includes the Department of Homeland Security and enforces federal border control, customs, trade, and immigration laws. Investigating illegal technology export would be within its charter.

Agiltron has been in business for more than 20 years. The company launched a major reorganization in 2001 that involved NZ Applied, JDSU, and Corning. More than 100 people work for the company, according to Agiltron’s website.

For more information on optical components and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.