Italy moves to extradite Chinese national to U.S. over alleged COVID-19 research hacks

According to Security Affairs, Italy is preparing to extradite Xu Zewei, a Chinese national arrested in 2025, to the United States to face charges of cyber-espionage. The U.S. authorities requested the extradition based on allegations that Xu was involved in hacking operations targeting sensitive research, particularly related to COVID-19 vaccines and treatments.

Italian police arrested Xu at Milan's Malpensa Airport in July 2025 on a U.S. warrant. Prosecutors allege that Xu targeted universities and researchers working on COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and testing between 2020 and 2021. He is also linked to a state-backed hacking group, identified as Hafnium or Silk Typhoon, which has been associated with attacks against U.S. government entities, including the U.S. Treasury.

The FBI specifically seeks Xu for his alleged role in espionage operations targeting COVID vaccine research at the University of Texas. Xu's family maintains his innocence, stating he is an IT technician and manager.

Source: Security Affairs