Overview

• Xu Zewei, 33, was arrested at Milan’s Malpensa Airport on July 3 under an FBI warrant alleging his role in a hacking team that targeted University of Texas Covid vaccine research in 2020.
• On July 4, Milan’s Court of Appeal confirmed his pretrial detention, with judges describing him as a significant flight risk ahead of the extradition hearing.
• He is represented by attorney Enrico Giarda, who is contesting the formal US extradition request at a hearing scheduled for July 8 in Milan.
• Italian police carried out the arrest in cooperation with the FBI, illustrating strengthened transatlantic efforts to counter state-linked cyber espionage.
• Authorities say the case highlights growing concerns over Chinese government–sponsored hacking aimed at securing sensitive medical research data during the pandemic.