In New York City, two men were arrested on suspicion of helping to establish a secret police station on behalf of the Chinese government. The arrests come from a series of Justice Department prosecutions that are aiming to disrupt the Chinese government’s efforts by locating individuals who are openly critical of Beijing’s policies. 

The two individuals who were arrested are said to have been acting under the direction and control of the Chinese government, and other reports have said that there has been deleted communication with a specific Chinese government official. 

“Harry” Lu Jianwang, 61, of the Bronx, and Chen Jinping, 59, of Manhattan, are both U.S. citizens, and are the two who were arrested. Lawyers for both of the men have not publicly spoken on the topic as of April 24, 2023. 

Michael Driscoll, who is the head of New York’s FBI field office, spoke at a news conference saying, “This is a blatant violation of our national sovereignty.” 

In addition, prosecutors have announced that eight Chinese government officials believed to be currently residing in China were charged with “directing an employee of the U.S. telecommunications company to remove Chinese dissidents from the company’s platform,” according to the Associated Press.