{"id":2458192,"date":"2025-07-10T20:44:02","date_gmt":"2025-07-11T00:44:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-nails-prolific-chinese-hacker-accused-of-stealing-groundbreaking-us-secrets\/"},"modified":"2025-07-10T20:46:02","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T00:46:02","slug":"doj-nails-prolific-chinese-hacker-accused-of-stealing-groundbreaking-us-secrets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-nails-prolific-chinese-hacker-accused-of-stealing-groundbreaking-us-secrets\/","title":{"rendered":"DOJ Nails Prolific Chinese Hacker Accused of Stealing &#8216;Groundbreaking&#8217; US Secrets"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdoj-nails-prolific-chinese-hacker-accused-of-stealing-groundbreaking-us-secrets%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2458192&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Teh U.S. Department of Justice announced the arrest of Xu Zewei, a 33-year-old Chinese hacker, on July 3 in Milan, Italy, at the DOJ&#8217;s request. Xu is charged with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sarah-bedford-says-presidential-records-act-has-not-been-aggressively-enforced-until-trump\/\" title=\"Sarah Bedford claims that the Presidential Records Act was not effectively enforced until the Trump administration.\">multiple counts related<\/a> to attempts to steal sensitive COVID-19 research from U.S. universities and research institutions between February 2020 and June 2021. His hacking activities include participation in the widespread HAFNIUM cyber intrusion campaign, which compromised thousands of computers worldwide. Authorities allege that xu operated under the direction of China&#8217;s Ministry of State Security and Shanghai State Security Bureau. While Xu was captured, his alleged accomplice, Zhang Yu, remains at large. The arrest underscores the U.S. commitment to holding accountable those who threaten cybersecurity and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-chinese-hackers-caused-power-outages-for-millions-of-indians\/\" title=\"Report: ...s Caused Power Outages for Millions of Indians\">steal intellectual property<\/a>, notably amid the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/taiwan-blasts-musk-after-he-calls-country-integral-part-of-china\/\" title=\"Taiwan criticizes Musk for labeling it as part of China.\">ongoing geopolitical tensions<\/a> with china. The DOJ warns that China continues to pose a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >significant cyber threat<\/a>, targeting American institutions and aiming to advance its global power.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>The Department of Justice announced earlier this week that a &ldquo;prolific&rdquo; Chinese hacker was apprehended on July 3 at the request of the Justice Department on charges of attempting to steal sensitive coronavirus research.<\/p>\n<p>Xu Zewei, 33, of the People&rsquo;s Republic of China, was charged in a nine-count indictment in the Southern District of Texas, according to the Department of Justice <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/justice-department-announces-arrest-prolific-chinese-state-sponsored-contract-hacker\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>He is accused of carrying out &ldquo;computer intrusions between February 2020 and June 2021, including the indiscriminate HAFNIUM computer intrusion campaign that compromised thousands of computers worldwide, including in the United States.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Xu was arrested in Milan, Italy, by authorities working in conjunction with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/fbi-compromised-cartel-hacker-gained-control-cameras-multiple-left-dead-fallout\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FBI<\/a>, and will now face extradition. His alleged accomplice &mdash; People&rsquo;s Republic of China national&nbsp; Zhang Yu, 44 &mdash; remains at large.<\/p>\n<p>Court documents show that officers of the PRC&rsquo;s Ministry of State Security and the Shanghai State Security Bureau directed Xu to hack the files.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadScript(src) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=src; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.async=true; \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #stnvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#stnvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In February 2020, as the world entered a pandemic, Xu Zewei and other cyber actors working on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) targeted American universities to steal groundbreaking COVID-19 research,&rdquo; Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/putin-green-lights-military-operations-in-ukraine\/\" title=\"Putin Green Lights Military Operations in Ukraine\">cyber division<\/a> said.<\/p>\n<p>He added that they &ldquo;targeted over 60,000 U.S. entities, successfully victimizing more than 12,700 in order to steal sensitive information.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division, John A. Eisenberg said the arrest demonstrates the U.S. commitment to pursuing hackers who prey on American companies and universities.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/trump-doj-comes-defense-priests-targeted-new-blue-state-law\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Justice Department<\/a> will find you and hold you accountable for threatening our cybersecurity and harming our people and institutions,&rdquo; Eisenberg said.<\/p>\n<p>Nicholas Ganjei, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, added: &ldquo;The indictment alleges that Xu was hacking and stealing crucial COVID-19 research at the behest of the Chinese government while that same government was simultaneously withholding information about the virus and its origins.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;As this case shows, even if it takes years, we will track hackers down and make them answer for their crimes. The United States does not forget,&rdquo; he continued.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">July 8: &#127464;&#127475; national Xu Zewei (&#24464;&#27901;&#20255;) was arrested in Milan, Italy, on July 3 at the request of the US. Xu and co-defendant &#127464;&#127475; national Zhang Yu (&#24352;&#23431;) are charged for their involvement in computer intrusions between Feb 2020 and June 2021, including the indiscriminate HAFNIUM&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/JE595UFk2H\">https:\/\/t.co\/JE595UFk2H<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/KecxPJzkaA\">pic.twitter.com\/KecxPJzkaA<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Byron Wan (@Byron_Wan) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Byron_Wan\/status\/1942735019795272122?\">July 8, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>  Xu and other co-conspirators allegedly hacked and targeted U.S. &ldquo;universities, immunologists, and virologists conducting research into COVID&#8209;19 vaccines, treatment, and testing,&rdquo; the DOJ news release read.<\/p>\n<p>The DOJ said it has become a common tactic for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/documents-usaid-sent-thousands-viral-samples-wuhan-lab-despite-shocking-lack-oversight\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chinese government<\/a> to operate an extensive network of private companies and contractors in China &mdash; who work for profit &mdash; to hack and steal information in a manner that obscures the government&rsquo;s involvement.<\/p>\n<p>Xu has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two counts of wire fraud, carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on each count, as well as conspiracy to cause damage to and obtain information by unauthorized access to protected computers, to commit wire fraud, and to commit identity theft, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, he&rsquo;s facing two counts of obtaining information by unauthorized access to protected computers, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison; two counts of intentional damage to a protected computer, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; and aggravated identity theft, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison.<\/p>\n<p>Anyone with potential information about the suspect who is still at large is encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).<\/p>\n<p>More than ever, it&rsquo;s clear that China remains our biggest threat &mdash; not Russia, not the Middle East. Chinese leadership will stop at nothing to become the world&rsquo;s foremost superpower.<\/p>\n<p>They&rsquo;ve already <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/chinese-hackers-breach-us-government-steal-documents-major-incident\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hacked<\/a> the United States through a variety of avenues, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/web-chinese-spies-fully-infiltrated-prestigious-us-university-student-investigation-finds\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">infiltrated<\/a> our schools and government with spies, purchased U.S. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/enough-enough-trump-admin-takes-action-chinas-aggressive-acquisition-us-farmland\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">farmland,<\/a> manipulated American trade, stolen intellectual property, and shipped deadly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/woman-texts-drug-dealer-fentanyl-misses-1-detail-lands-straight-jail\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fentanyl<\/a> into the country.<\/p>\n<p>Lest we forget, they are widely believed to have been the source of a worldwide pandemic that brought America&rsquo;s roaring economy to its knees and caused most of the entire world to lock down.<\/p>\n<p>Border security is vital. A stable Middle East is a must. But <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/trump-announces-new-trade-deal-will-enormous-china-implications\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">China<\/a> is the future. They have a history of patience, and they can play the long game.<\/p>\n<p>We must learn to do the same and stay on the cutting edge, or they will assume the kind of power that the U.S. has enjoyed since World War II.<\/p>\n<p>If that happens, the earth will quickly sink into darkness on a scale that no one can possibly imagine.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Department of Justice revealed earlier this week that a highly active Chinese hacker was arrested on July 3 following their request. Xu Zewei, 33, from the People&#8217;s Republic of China, faces a nine-count indictment in the Southern District of Texas for allegedly trying to steal sensitive coronavirus research<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2458193,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Xu-Zewei.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[58856,19536,7076,12646,58857],"class_list":["post-2458192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-chinese-hacker","tag-cybersecurity","tag-doj","tag-espionage","tag-us-secrets"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Xu-Zewei.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2458192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2458192"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2458192\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2458196,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2458192\/revisions\/2458196"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2458193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2458192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2458192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2458192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}