The FBI on Thursday warned that recruitment of hackers by the Chinese government has progressed to a point the agency views as uncontrollable, providing operatives with plausible deniability while exposing them to arrest if they travel outside China.
Assistant Director Brett Leatherman made the remarks after the extradition of Chinese national Xu Zewei, 34, who was flown from Italy to the United States to face criminal charges. U.S. authorities allege Xu took part in extensive hacking campaigns in 2020 and 2021 while employed by a Chinese contractor and acting at the direction of the Chinese government.
Italian authorities arrested Xu in Milan in July 2025. An Italian court later approved his transfer to U.S. custody, where he now faces the charges filed by American prosecutors.
Leatherman underscored a central tenet of the FBI's posture on state-linked cyber operations - that the protective environment alleged to exist for such actors inside China does not extend beyond its borders. According to the official, that protection ends when suspects travel internationally, and they may be subject to arrest in other countries.
The extradition and the FBI comments together illustrate the agency's operational approach of pursuing Chinese-linked hackers when they depart their home country. The case demonstrates coordinated action between U.S. law enforcement and international partners to apprehend individuals accused of cyber crimes tied to foreign governments.
Officials say the matter centers on accused conduct from 2020 and 2021, with charges alleging direction by the Chinese government while the suspect worked for a contractor in China. Beyond the specific allegations and Xu's transfer, the FBI's public statements aim to signal that travel represents a moment of vulnerability for alleged state-directed cyber actors.
While U.S. authorities are emphasizing cross-border cooperation in cybercrime investigations, the factual record in this matter remains limited to the arrest, extradition, and the charges as described by prosecutors. The FBI's remarks and the extradition together form part of the agency's broader strategy to hold alleged foreign-linked hackers accountable when they are accessible to arrest abroad.
Note: The article reports the facts of the extradition and the FBI's statements as provided by officials; it does not add claims beyond those publicly stated by authorities.