By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Concealed RepublicanConcealed Republican
  • Home
  • Latest News
  • Guns
  • Politics
  • Videos
Reading: Trump’s DOJ nabs Chinese agent accused of global CCP plot to steal COVID research
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Font ResizerAa
Concealed RepublicanConcealed Republican
  • News
  • Guns
  • Politics
  • Videos
  • Home
  • Latest News
  • Guns
  • Politics
  • Videos
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
  • Advertise
  • Advertise
© 2022 Foxiz News Network. Ruby Design Company. All Rights Reserved.
Concealed Republican > Blog > News > Trump’s DOJ nabs Chinese agent accused of global CCP plot to steal COVID research
News

Trump’s DOJ nabs Chinese agent accused of global CCP plot to steal COVID research

Jim Taft
Last updated: July 10, 2025 5:37 am
By Jim Taft 14 Min Read
Share
Trump’s DOJ nabs Chinese agent accused of global CCP plot to steal COVID research
SHARE

Amid the Trump administration’s efforts to curb the Chinese Communist Party’s influence in the U.S., the Department of Justice announced the arrest of a CCP agent accused of worldwide computer intrusions related to COVID-19 research.

Xu Zewei, 33, and Zhang Yu, 44, are facing a nine-count indictment for allegedly “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,” stated Nicholas Ganjei, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas.

‘Through HAFNIUM, the CCP targeted over 60,000 U.S. entities, successfully victimizing more than 12,700 in order to steal sensitive information.’

Federal authorities alleged that the Ministry of State Security’s Shanghai State Security Bureau directed Xu to perform computer intrusions between February 2020 and June 2021.

Xu allegedly targeted American universities, immunologists, and virologists to obtain information on COVID-19 research related to vaccines, treatment, and testing.

In February 2020, Xu informed the SSSB that he had breached the “network of a research university located in the Southern District of Texas,” the DOJ reported. An SSSB officer then reportedly instructed him to target email accounts belonging to certain virologists and immunologists.

Brett Leatherman, the assistant director of the FBI’s Cyber Division, explained that Xu and his co-conspirators later operated as a group known as HAFNIUM, which “exploited zero-day vulnerabilities in U.S. systems to steal additional research.”

“Through HAFNIUM, the CCP targeted over 60,000 U.S. entities, successfully victimizing more than 12,700 in order to steal sensitive information,” Leatherman said.

RELATED: Chinese official avows Beijing is behind cyberattacks on US, identifies motive: Report

   Photo Illustration by Budrul Chukrut/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images  

In late 2020, HAFNIUM allegedly breached the Microsoft Exchange Server, impacting computers worldwide, including a law firm and another university in the Southern District of Texas.

Microsoft announced the breach in March 2021, describing HAFNIUM as a “state-sponsored” group “operating out of China.” It noted that the hackers had targeted “infectious disease researchers, law firms, higher education institutions, defense contractors, policy think tanks, and NGOs.”

RELATED: Agriculture secretary unveils plan to stop China’s farmland grab, bio-material smuggling threats

  Feature China/Future Publishing via Getty Images

Xu was arrested in Milan, Italy, on July 3 at the request of the U.S. government and now awaits extradition proceedings. He was charged with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to cause damage to and obtain information by unauthorized access to protected computers to commit wire fraud and to commit identity theft, obtaining information by unauthorized access to protected computers, intentional damage to a protected computer, and aggravated identity theft.

Ganjei stated, “The Southern District of Texas has been waiting years to bring Xu to justice and that day is nearly at hand. 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.”

The DOJ reported that Zhang remains at large.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!



Read the full article here

You Might Also Like

Bill to Protect Veterans Gun Rights Advances in House

Healey outraged as ICE detains Massachusetts teen heading to volleyball practice

Florida board rejects Santa Ono in stunning DEI rebuke

Sam Darnold explains why he chose Seahawks in NFL free agency

Nadler slams Trump administration after staff member detained at NYC office

Share This Article
Facebook X Email Print
Previous Article Top-ranked tennis star sets the record straight after Wimbledon quarterfinal Top-ranked tennis star sets the record straight after Wimbledon quarterfinal
Next Article Deep State Launches Purge Against Key Trump Nominee Deep State Launches Purge Against Key Trump Nominee
Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

- Advertisement -
Ad image

Latest News

Left-Wing Mob Turns on Sydney Sweeney for Wearing Jeans and Voting Republican [WATCH]
Left-Wing Mob Turns on Sydney Sweeney for Wearing Jeans and Voting Republican [WATCH]
Politics
NC state auditor aims to have ‘real effect’ by implementing state-level DOGE
NC state auditor aims to have ‘real effect’ by implementing state-level DOGE
News
Harmless hobby devolved into disturbing therapeutic practice
Harmless hobby devolved into disturbing therapeutic practice
News
SummerSlam 2025: Tiffany Stratton retains the WWE Women’s Champonship
SummerSlam 2025: Tiffany Stratton retains the WWE Women’s Champonship
News
Lies are tearing America apart from the inside out
Lies are tearing America apart from the inside out
News
Secret Service will not renew ex-director Kim Cheatle’s security clearance
Secret Service will not renew ex-director Kim Cheatle’s security clearance
News
© 2025 Concealed Republican. All Rights Reserved.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Press Release
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?