FBI brings alleged China-linked hacker to US in rare extradition as Patel defends Italy trip
FBI Director Kash Patel defended his 2026 trip to Italy, stating it facilitated the arrest and extradition of Xu Zewei, a Chinese national accused of hacking U.S. COVID-19 research. Xu, allegedly linked to China's Ministry of State Security, was extradited from Italy and is now in U.S. custody facing federal charges. Patel described the operation as a coordinated effort with Italian authorities that prevented further delays in bringing the suspect to justice.
- ▪Xu Zewei was extradited from Italy and is now in U.S. custody facing charges related to a 2020–2021 cyber campaign targeting COVID-19 research.
- ▪FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau directly tied Xu Zewei to China’s Ministry of State Security and its Shanghai bureau.
- ▪Patel stated that the arrest resulted from a coordinated operation with Italian authorities and occurred within a narrow legal window to avoid extradition delays.
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Kash Patel FBI brings alleged China-linked hacker to US in rare extradition as Patel defends Italy trip Patel says Chinese officials sought to intervene in recent days to prevent Xu Zewei's extradition from Italy By Morgan Phillips Fox News Published April 28, 2026 5:48pm EDT Facebook Twitter Threads Flipboard Comments Print Email Add Fox News on Google close Video Kash Patel: We need Congress to pony up FBI director Kash Patel discusses the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner and how investigators responded on ‘Hannity.’ NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! FBI Director Kash Patel says a trip to Italy that raised questions earlier in 2026 helped set the stage for the arrest of a Chinese national accused of hacking U.S. COVID-19 research.
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