(CNN) — The FBI arrested two suspected Chinese agents and federal prosecutors charged dozens more with working inside the United States to silence and harass dissidents and spread propaganda — including operating an undeclared police station — as part of a global campaign of Chinese government promotion.
Two people associated with an illegal police operation in Chinatown were arrested Monday and are expected to appear in federal court in New York later this afternoon, according to John Marzulli, spokesman for the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
The defendants allegedly operated an “unreported police station” in Chinatown, Manhattan, which has remained closed since a search warrant was executed at the location last fall, the spokesman said.
In addition, the Department of Justice announced charges against 34 PRC national police officers for harassing Chinese citizens in the US who are critical of the Chinese government.
All 34 defendants are believed to be living in China and on the run, according to the Justice Department. The agents were part of a Chinese government campaign called the “Special Project 912 Task Force,” which aimed to influence global perceptions of the PRC.
The agents allegedly used social media to post pro-PRC comments and attack its “perceived adversaries,” including US and Chinese pro-democracy activists around the world, the Justice Department said.
The agents were allegedly ordered by China’s Ministry of Public Security, or MPS, to create and maintain accounts that appeared to be run by US citizens. Propaganda machine topics include US foreign policy, human rights issues in Hong Kong, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, covid-19 and racial justice protests following the murder of George Floyd, according to prosecutors.
The agents also posted videos and articles targeting Chinese democracy advocates in the US, the Justice Department alleged, some of which included explicit death threats. In addition, the agents allegedly used threats to intimidate people from participating in pro-democracy protests inside the United States.
This story has been updated with additional details.
