Story perspectives

Italy Extradites Chinese Hacker Xu to US, Faces 20-Year Sentence

4/28/2026

Summary

Story summary

Italian authorities called the 34-year-old suspect Xu Zewei a foreign hacker after his extradition to the United States.
U.S. prosecutors say Xu acted under China’s Ministry of State Security and joined the Hafnium campaign that infected computers.
He faces nine charges, including wire and computer fraud, with up to 20 years imprisonment per serious count.
China’s foreign ministry called the extradition a motivated mistake and asked Italy to reverse it.

History

Historical Context

The U.S. Justice Department’s July 2025 nine-count indictment of Xu Zewei and Zhang Yu for cyber intrusions follows earlier high-profile Chinese cyber-espionage cases, such as the 2015 OPM data breach attributed to China. Italy’s arrest of Xu in Milan and his continued detention illustrate growing Western international cooperation to counter state-sponsored hacking efforts.

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Story summary

Italian authorities called the 34-year-old suspect Xu Zewei a foreign hacker after his extradition to the United States.
U.S. prosecutors say Xu acted under China’s Ministry of State Security and joined the Hafnium campaign that infected computers.
He faces nine charges, including wire and computer fraud, with up to 20 years imprisonment per serious count.
China’s foreign ministry called the extradition a motivated mistake and asked Italy to reverse it.

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