FBI brings alleged China-linked hacker to US in rare extradition as Patel defends Italy trip
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the extradition of Xu Zewei, a Chinese national linked to China's Ministry of State Security, from Italy to the U.S. to face charges related to hacking U.S. COVID-19 research institutions between 2020 and 2021. The operation, coordinated with Italian authorities, followed Patel's controversial trip to Italy, which he defended as instrumental in facilitating the arrest. Xu is accused of targeting universities, virologists, and immunologists, and participating in the HAFNIUM cyber campaign. Chinese officials reportedly attempted to block the extradition in the final days before it occurred.
- ▪Xu Zewei, a China-linked hacker, was extradited from Italy to the U.S. to face federal charges for allegedly hacking American COVID-19 research during 2020–2021.
- ▪FBI Director Kash Patel said the extradition resulted from a coordinated effort with Italian law enforcement and occurred amid attempts by Chinese officials to intervene and prevent it.
- ▪Patel linked Xu directly to China’s Ministry of State Security and its Shanghai bureau, though some details remain classified.
- ▪The suspect is accused of targeting U.S. universities, researchers, and a Washington, D.C. law firm, and exploiting Microsoft Exchange Server vulnerabilities in the HAFNIUM campaign.
- ▪Xu’s alleged co-conspirator remains at large, and the Justice Department has not disclosed the full scope of data allegedly stolen.
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Kash Patel FBI brings alleged China-linked hacker to US in rare extradition as Patel defends Italy trip Patel says Chinese officials sought to intervene in recent days to prevent Xu Zewei's extradition from Italy By Morgan Phillips Fox News Published April 28, 2026 5:48pm EDT Facebook Twitter Threads Flipboard Comments Print Email Add Fox News on Google close Video Kash Patel: We need Congress to pony up FBI director Kash Patel discusses the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner and how investigators responded on ‘Hannity.’ NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! FBI Director Kash Patel says a trip to Italy that raised questions earlier in 2026 helped set the stage for the arrest of a Chinese national accused of hacking U.S. COVID-19 research.
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