Chinese hacker who allegedly stole COVID-19 research from universities, extradited to US
FILE- Hacker sits in front of several computer monitors. (Getty Images)
A Chinese man who was arrested on suspicion of hacking into several U.S. universities’ computer systems to steal COVID-19-related research, has been extradited from Italy at the request of U.S. authorities, the Department of Justice said in a news release.
Xu Zewei, 34, appeared in court in Houston, Texas, and faces a nine-count indictment, including his involvement in a hacking scheme dating back to February 2020.
Dig deeper:
The hacking scheme involved the HAFNIUM computer intrusion campaign that compromised thousands of computers worldwide, including in the United States.
The hackers also targeted U.S. COVID-19 research during the height of the pandemic.
What they're saying:
"Today, Xu Zewei will stand in a federal courtroom to answer for crimes that struck at the heart of American science and security — allegedly stealing COVID-19 research from our universities when the world needed it most," said Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck for the Southern District of Texas. "We have pursued this moment across years and continents, and the message this office sends today is the same one we sent when we first unsealed this indictment: we will work to protect the American people."
The backstory:
Authorities alleged Xu and Zhang, and others, targeted over 60,000 U.S. entities, successfully victimizing more than 12,700 in order to steal sensitive information.
One of those targeted was a law firm with offices worldwide, including in Washington, D.C.
The charges against Xu include wire fraud, obtaining information by unauthorized access to protected computers and aggravated identity theft. The wire fraud charges carry sentences of up to 20 years in prison.
What you can do:
Zhang’s whereabouts are still unknown.
Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
The Source: Information for this article was taken from a Department of Justice news release from April 27, 2026, and previous reporting by The Associated Press. This story was reported from San Jose.