Italy has extradited Xu Zewei, a Chinese national accused of stealing COVID-19 research, to the United States. The 34-year-old was handed over by Italian authorities following his arrest in Milan last July. He is wanted in the U.S. for allegedly conducting cyber-attacks against universities and other institutions engaged in COVID-related research.
Key Takeaways
Italy has extradited Xu Zewei, a Chinese national accused of stealing COVID-19 research as part of a state-sponsored cyber-espionage campaign known as “Hafnium.” He faces nine criminal counts in the U.S., including wire fraud and conspiracy to obtain information by unauthorized access. FBI Director Kash Patel stated that the arrest was a result of coordinated efforts with Italian authorities, marking a rare extradition case involving an alleged state-linked hacker.
The suspect and his co-conspirators are accused of exploiting cybersecurity flaws in email software to target thousands of computers as part of a Chinese state-sponsored cyber-espionage campaign known as “Hafnium,” according to Italian police. Xu is alleged to have targeted universities, immunologists, and virologists under the direction of China’s Ministry of State Security while employed at Shanghai Powerock Network.
Xu appeared in the U.S. District Court in Houston, Texas, on Monday to face nine criminal counts, including wire fraud and conspiracy to obtain information by unauthorized access to protected computers. If convicted, Xu could face up to 20 years in prison for each count of the most serious charges against him.
FBI Director Kash Patel described the arrest as a result of coordinated efforts with Italian authorities, marking a rare case in which an alleged state-linked hacker has been extradited to face charges in the United States. Patel told Fox News Digital that the bureau was able to 'directly tie' Xu to China’s Ministry of State Security and its Shanghai bureau, though additional details remain classified pending declassification.
Patel said Chinese officials sought to intervene recently to prevent Xu’s extradition from Italy. Timing was critical, according to Patel, who pointed to past cases where suspected Chinese operatives were able to avoid extradition. In one instance in 2025, a Chinese national detained in Serbia was ultimately returned to China despite U.S. efforts to secure custody.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Beijing has previously denied conducting hacking operations in the US and elsewhere around the world, branding such claims as 'groundless accusations' and 'smears.' Xu’s lawyers in Italy and the U.S., Simona Candido and Dan Cogdell, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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