US Jury Convicts Chinese National for Operating Secret Police Station in America

Washington DC. A jury has convicted US citizen Lu Jianwang of illegally operating a so-called 'secret police station' for the Chinese government in America.

According to police and prosecution, he established and operated an unofficial office for China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS) in the Manhattan Chinatown area in early 2022. The location was later described as the first known secret police station in America.

Lu has been convicted of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government and obstructing justice by destroying evidence. His co-accused, Chen Jinping, pleaded guilty in December 2024 and is awaiting sentencing.

According to the prosecution, Lu used the office to target critics and dissidents abroad in line with the Chinese government's political objectives. FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. said, 'Lu used the police station in New York City to target those dissatisfied with China.'

According to reports, more than a hundred such unofficial stations have been found in 53 countries. Human rights groups have accused these structures of being used to monitor and pressure Chinese citizens and pro-democracy activists abroad. However, the Chinese government has denied these allegations, claiming that such locations are merely service centers that provide administrative assistance, pandemic aid, or driving license renewals to citizens abroad.

New York's alleged station was operated on the floor above a ramen shop in the Chinatown area and was shut down in late 2022 following an FBI investigation. According to the prosecution, upon learning of the investigation, the defendants also destroyed text messages with Chinese MPS officials.