Chinese Hacker Arrested in Italy Over Alleged Theft of U.S. COVID-19 Research; Brennan and Comey Under Federal Investigation

A Chinese national has been arrested in Italy at the request of the United States for allegedly hacking into sensitive American COVID-19 research. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed the arrest of 33-year-old Xu Zewei, accusing him of cyber intrusions targeting U.S. universities, scientists, and institutions involved in vaccine and treatment development during the height of the pandemic.

Xu was taken into custody in Italy on July 3 alongside a co-conspirator, Zhang Yu. According to the DOJ, both men face a nine-count federal indictment in the Southern District of Texas. The charges stem from a series of cyberattacks allegedly carried out between February 2020 and June 2021, targeting researchers and academic institutions involved in COVID-19 response efforts.

The DOJ stated that Xu acted on behalf of the Shanghai State Security Bureau (SSSB), a branch of China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS). The department accused the Chinese government of leveraging networks of private contractors and companies to conceal its role in orchestrated cyber espionage campaigns aimed at stealing American intellectual property and sensitive health data.

“This case reflects a broader pattern of the People’s Republic of China using third parties to carry out state-sponsored hacking that masks direct involvement,” said the DOJ in a formal statement. “Targeting pandemic-related research not only endangered public health but also violated international norms.”

The case comes amid longstanding tensions between the U.S. and China over the origins of COVID-19, which first appeared in Wuhan, China in late 2019. The virus quickly escalated into a global crisis, taking millions of lives and causing economic upheaval around the world.

The DOJ’s announcement also coincides with reports of unrelated but highly consequential criminal investigations now underway involving two former top U.S. intelligence officials—John Brennan and James Comey.

According to sources familiar with the matter who spoke to Fox News Digital, both Brennan, the former CIA director, and Comey, the former FBI director, are subjects of ongoing federal investigations. The inquiries reportedly focus on possible misconduct and false statements made in connection to the now-debunked Trump-Russia collusion narrative that dominated headlines during the 2016 and 2020 election cycles.

Sources say current CIA Director John Ratcliffe referred evidence to the FBI indicating that Brennan may have misled Congress during his testimony related to the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) on Russian election interference. That assessment claimed Russia sought to aid then-candidate Donald Trump in the 2016 election. However, a recently declassified “lessons learned” review of the ICA revealed serious flaws in the process.

The internal CIA review found that the inclusion of the infamous Steele dossier—an unverified opposition research file compiled by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele—was inappropriate and inconsistent with agency standards. The dossier, which was funded by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee through the firm Fusion GPS, has since been widely discredited.

The review stated that the decision to incorporate the dossier into the ICA was “politically motivated” and “undermined the credibility of a key intelligence judgment.” It also found that career analysts expressed concerns at the time, but were overruled by political appointees from the Obama-era intelligence community.

A newly declassified email has surfaced, reportedly sent to Brennan by the then-deputy CIA director in December 2016. The message warned that including the Steele dossier would jeopardize the integrity of the assessment. This email now serves as key evidence in the DOJ’s probe into whether Brennan knowingly misled lawmakers.

In his May 2023 testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, Brennan claimed he did not support the dossier’s inclusion. Investigators are now determining whether this contradicts the internal email records and other documents recently released.

Former FBI Director James Comey is also under investigation, though specific details remain closely held. DOJ sources confirmed the inquiry may involve allegations of conspiracy and false statements to Congress, stemming from Comey’s handling of classified materials and testimony related to the FBI’s Russia investigation.

The White House weighed in on the matter through Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. “President Trump was right—again,” she stated. “Those who played a role in this political scandal must be held accountable. The American people deserve the truth about the lies and manipulation that took place.”

As the investigations into Brennan and Comey progress, legal experts note that potential charges could vary widely depending on the outcome of the DOJ’s findings. Meanwhile, Xu Zewei is expected to face extradition proceedings in Italy, as U.S. authorities continue building their case in what they call a critical matter of national security.