Italy Extradites Chinese Hacker to U.S. Over COVID Research Theft

Italy has extradited Chinese national Xu Zewei to the United States to face a nine-count federal indictment including wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, Italian authorities said, confirming earlier reports. Xu was handed over to U.S. officials on April 25 following approval by Italy’s justice system under the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni , after a court ruling earlier this month cleared the extradition. U.S. prosecutors allege Xu was part of the Hafnium cyber-espionage group, which has been linked to China’s Ministry of State Security and accused of targeting companies, u

Italy has extradited Chinese national Xu Zewei to the United States to face a nine-count federal indictment including wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, Italian authorities said, confirming earlier reports.

Xu was handed over to U.S. officials on April 25 following approval by Italy’s justice system under the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, after a court ruling earlier this month cleared the extradition.

U.S. prosecutors allege Xu was part of the Hafnium cyber-espionage group, which has been linked to China’s Ministry of State Security and accused of targeting companies, universities and research institutions, including efforts to obtain COVID-19-related medical data.

The indictment, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, accuses Xu of involvement in hacking campaigns aimed at stealing sensitive information during the pandemic.

Xu’s lawyers said they had not been informed of the transfer and that neither they nor his family knew his current whereabouts, raising concerns about due process.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized the extradition, describing the charges as politically motivated and urging the United States to respect the rights of Chinese nationals.

The case forms part of a broader crackdown by the United States Department of Justice on alleged state-backed cyber operations targeting intellectual property and sensitive research.