FBI Director Kash Patel on Tuesday (May 28) announced the arrest of a Chinese national accused of orchestrating a major cyber-hacking campaign targeting US COVID-19 research during the pandemic.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Kash Patel said: “The FBI and our great partners have arrested Xu Zewei – a national and state-sponsored hacker of the PRC – allegedly responsible for a massive cyber intrusion campaign in 2020 and 2021 that stole COVID-19 research from US institutions.
Edition from Italy
The suspect, identified as Xu Zewei, was extradited to the United States from Italy and will face federal charges, Kash Patel said.
Patel confirmed: “Xu was extradited from Italy to the US as of this weekend and will now face federal charges.”
Targeting COVID-19 research
According to the FBI, the alleged hacking campaign took place during the height of the pandemic and targeted critical US scientific research.
“During 2020 and 2021, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Xu and his co-conspirators allegedly attacked and compromised US universities, immunologists and virologists conducting COVID-19 research — including key treatments and vaccines — access to email accounts and more.”
Links to the HAFNIUM group
Authorities say Xu was connected to a broader state-backed cyber operation known as HAFNIUM.
“Xu was also allegedly a key part of what is known as HAFNIUM, the group responsible for a massive cyber disruption campaign (directed by PRC officials) that compromised nearly 13,000 US organizations.”
A ‘Historic Victory’ for Cyber Security
Patel called the arrest a major breakthrough in US efforts to combat cyber threats.
“This case is a historic victory for our cybersecurity efforts under President Trump, bringing bad actors who target America’s infrastructure to justice no matter where they try to hide.”
Cooperation with the Italian authorities
The FBI credited Italian law enforcement for their role in the operation and emphasized international cooperation.
“A big thank you to our partners in Italy, including Prefect Vittorio Pisani of the Italian National Police, who worked with us around the clock on this investigation – taking Xu into custody, extraditing him, and running the FTOC with the FBI.”
