A 33-year-old Chinese man was arrested at Milan Malpensa airport on July 3 on a US espionage warrant. The arrest occurred shortly after he arrived in Italy, according to sources.
Identified as Zewei Xu, he is wanted by the FBI for alleged involvement in cyber espionage activities. US authorities accuse Xu of being part of a hacking group that targeted sensitive information. This included research into Covid-19 vaccines at the University of Texas in 2020.
Documents from Italy’s interior ministry state that Xu is also suspected of participating in a broader cyber-attack campaign called ‘Hafnium’. The operation, allegedly orchestrated by the Chinese government, is said to have targeted thousands of computers worldwide. The goal, according to the documents, was to obtain information related to US government policies.
Xu’s arrest was made on the basis of US espionage warrant. An extradition hearing is scheduled for Tuesday at Milan’s Court of Appeals.
His family deny all allegations. Speaking to Italy’s Postal Police, Xu’s wife said, “Both my husband and I do not agree with extradition to the United States.” She described him as an IT technician, not a spy. “Him getting an entry visa to Italy should be a confirmation that we have not committed crimes. My husband works as an IT manager at Shanghai GTA Semi Conductor Ltd, where he develops IT systems and network infrastructure.”
Italian judicial authorities will now decide whether Xu will be extradited to face charges in the United States.
