Chinese Suspect Extradited To U.S. In COVID-19 Research Hacking Case
The FBI extradited a Chinese hacker to the United States on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, to face allegations of stealing COVID-19 research.
Officials said the suspect was flown to the U.S. and will be arraigned in federal court on charges tied to the alleged breaches.
The episode traces back to probes of cyber intrusions during the pandemic that targeted university and corporate labs working on coronavirus vaccines and treatments.
U.S. officials have said they will continue to pursue overseas suspects who target medical research, viewing such cases as part of broader national security and public health protections.
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📌 Key Facts
- Xu Zewei, a Chinese national, was extradited from Italy to the U.S. as of the weekend before Tuesday, April 28, 2026.
- DOJ says Xu faces nine federal counts, including two wire fraud charges and aggravated identity theft.
- Court documents allege China’s Ministry of State Security directed Xu’s 2020-2021 hacking of U.S. COVID-19 research, including a Texas research university.
- FBI Director Kash Patel says Xu was a key contractor in the HAFNIUM campaign that allegedly compromised nearly 13,000 U.S. organizations.
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April 28, 2026