Chinese man charged in Texas with stealing COVID-19 research from US
colleges
[July 09, 2025]
HOUSTON (AP) — A Chinese national has been arrested on suspicion of
hacking into several U.S. universities' computer systems to steal
COVID-19-related research, authorities announced on Tuesday.
Xu Zewei is charged in a nine-count indictment in the Southern District
of Texas for his alleged involvement in computer intrusions between
February 2020 and June 2021. Another Chinese national, Zhang Yu, was
also charged in the indictment.
Xu was arrested on Thursday in Italy and is awaiting extradition to the
U.S. Authorities said Zhang remains at large.
Xu and others are accused of targeting and hacking several U.S.-based
universities, immunologists, and virologists conducting research into
COVID‑19 vaccines, treatment and testing, according to court documents.
“The hacking of these American universities is not just a violation of
intellectual property rights. It’s an attack on American scientific
innovation,” Nicholas J. Ganjei, the Houston-based U.S. Attorney for the
Southern District of Texas, said at a news conference.
Authorities declined to name the universities that had been targeted but
said two were located in the Southern District of Texas.
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 Authorities allege that officers of
China’s Ministry of State Security, or MSS, directed Xu and others
to conduct the hacking.
A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington
did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment.
Authorities allege Xu and Zhang were part of a group known as
HAFNIUM, that 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.
Tuesday's announcement comes after the Justice Department earlier
this month said two Chinese nationals had been charged with spying
inside the United States on behalf of Beijing, including by taking
photographs of a naval base.
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