Chinese man charged in Texas with stealing COVID-19 research from US colleges

HOUSTON — A Chinese national has been arrested on suspicion of hacking into several U.S. universities' computer systems to steal COVID-19-related research, authorities announced on Tuesday.

Xu Zewei is charged in a nine-count indictment in the Southern District of Texas for his alleged involvement in computer intrusions between February 2020 and June 2021. Another Chinese national, Zhang Yu, was also charged in the indictment.

Xu was arrested on Thursday in Italy and is awaiting extradition to the U.S. Authorities said Zhang remains at large.

Xu and others are accused of targeting and hacking several U.S.-based universities, immunologists, and virologists conducting research into COVID‑19 vaccines, treatment and testing, according to court documents.

''The hacking of these American universities is not just a violation of intellectual property rights. It's an attack on American scientific innovation,'' Nicholas J. Ganjei, the Houston-based U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, said at a news conference.

Authorities declined to name the universities that had been targeted but said two were located in the Southern District of Texas.

Authorities allege that officers of China's Ministry of State Security, or MSS, directed Xu and others to conduct the hacking.

A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment.

Authorities allege Xu and Zhang were part of a group known as HAFNIUM, that targeted over 60,000 U.S. entities, successfully victimizing more than 12,700 in order to steal sensitive information. One of those targeted was a law firm with offices worldwide, including in Washington, D.C.

The charges against Xu include wire fraud, obtaining information by unauthorized access to protected computers and aggravated identity theft. The wire fraud charges carry sentences of up to 20 years in prison.

Tuesday's announcement comes after the Justice Department earlier this month said two Chinese nationals had been charged with spying inside the United States on behalf of Beijing, including by taking photographs of a naval base.