A top official at the Federal Bureau of Investigation delivered a harsh warning to international cyber criminals on Thursday. FBI Assistant Director Brett Leatherman told reporters that the massive hack-for-hire industry inside China has completely spiraled out of control. He explained that the Chinese government uses private contractors to run a dirty digital war. This clever setup gives government officials a wall of plausible deniability when foreign nations finally catch the hackers.
Leatherman made these strong comments just days after a major legal victory for the United States. Italian authorities successfully sent 34-year-old Chinese citizen Xu Zewei to America to face serious computer crime charges. Italian police originally caught and handcuffed Xu in the city of Milan back in July 2025. After a lengthy legal battle, an Italian judge gave the green light for the hacker to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. Leatherman firmly reminded foreign criminals that the protection they enjoy inside China instantly vanishes the very second they cross an international border.
The Department of Justice formally accused Xu of running 2 widespread hacking campaigns throughout 2020 and 2021. During the height of the global pandemic, Xu and his criminal crew aggressively attacked American universities. They specifically targeted the private email accounts of top immunologists and virologists. These dedicated scientists worked around the clock researching new COVID-19 vaccines, medical treatments, and advanced testing methods. Xu wanted to steal their valuable medical breakthroughs and hand them directly to his bosses back home.
Prosecutors say the 34-year-old hacker did not act alone or randomly pick his targets. He reported his daily hacking progress directly to the Shanghai State Security Bureau. This powerful intelligence agency operates directly under the Chinese Ministry of State Security. According to court documents, a specific intelligence officer inside the bureau handed Xu a detailed hit list. The officer ordered the young hacker to crack into the private digital lives of specific medical researchers.
Stealing vaccine research only formed 1 part of this massive criminal conspiracy. Xu and his team also played a major role in a high-profile global cyberattack known as the Hafnium campaign. The hacking crew found hidden weaknesses inside the popular Microsoft Exchange Server email program. They exploited these secret digital holes to break into hundreds of private computer networks worldwide.
A senior official from the Department of Justice explained the true goal of the Hafnium attacks to reporters on Thursday. The hackers completely ignored regular citizens and focused their digital weapons on wealthy law firms. They dug through confidential legal folders searching for hidden secrets about American policymakers and government agencies. They wanted to steal sensitive political files that could give the Chinese government a major advantage on the world stage.
The Chinese government aggressively fought back against these serious criminal charges. On April 27, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian publicly slammed the entire investigation. He accused Washington officials of totally fabricating the charges through shady political manipulation. He angrily urged the Italian government to reject the extradition request and avoid acting as an accomplice to the United States. Despite his loud demands, Italy ignored the complaints and put Xu on an airplane anyway.
As the legal drama unfolds, several key players choose to stay completely silent. Reporters reached out to the Chinese Embassy in Washington for a brief comment, but diplomats refused to answer the phone. Furthermore, the defense lawyers representing Xu ignored multiple interview requests. The hacker now sits in an American jail cell, waiting to face a judge for stealing medical secrets and political data. The FBI promises to keep hunting down any foreign hacker who tries to steal American innovation.
