Xu Zewei

FBI Director Kash Patel announced the extradition of Chinese national Xu Zewei, accused of hacking U.S. COVID-19 research, to the U.S. after a coordinated effort with Italian authorities. Patel defended his 2026 Italy trip as critical to the arrest, despite earlier criticism, and highlighted Chinese intelligence's alleged involvement in the cyber campaign.

The FBI extradited Xu Zewei, a Chinese national linked to China's Ministry of State Security, for hacking U.S. COVID-19 research between 2020–2021. FBI Director Kash Patel credited a 2026 Italy trip for enabling collaboration with Italian authorities to apprehend Xu, who allegedly targeted U.S. universities and researchers during the pandemic. Chinese officials reportedly attempted to block the extradition.

A Chinese hacker, Xu Zewei, accused of stealing COVID-19 research from U.S. institutions in a 2020-2021 cyberattack, has been extradited to the U.S. from Italy to face federal charges. The FBI and Justice Department allege he acted under direction from China's Ministry of State Security, targeting universities and researchers to access sensitive data.

A Chinese national, Xu Zewei, accused of being part of the state-sponsored Silk Typhoon hacking group, was extradited to the U.S. from Italy after allegedly orchestrating cyberattacks against American organizations and government agencies between 2020 and 2021. He was arrested in July 2025 for his alleged involvement in these attacks.

Italy has extradited Xu Zewei, a 34-year-old Chinese national, to the United States over allegations of cyber-espionage. U.S. prosecutors claim he hacked into universities to steal vaccine research during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Chinese national, Xu Zewei, was extradited to the U.S. for his alleged role in the HAFNIUM/Silk Typhoon cyber-espionage campaign, which exploited Microsoft Exchange Server vulnerabilities to steal pandemic-related data from over 12,700 U.S. organizations. He is accused of working under China’s intelligence services to conduct attacks targeting research on COVID-19 vaccines, treatment, and testing.

Xu Zewei, a hacker accused of participating in a Chinese government hacking group, was extradited to the U.S. for allegedly cyberattacking thousands of U.S. organizations and stealing COVID-19-related research.