NEW YORK, April 17 (Reuters) - U.S. federal agents arrested two New York residents for allegedly operating a Chinese "secret police station" in the Chinatown district of Manhattan on Monday in what prosecutors said was part of a crackdown on Beijing's alleged targeting of dissidents.

Lu Jianwang, 61, and Chen Jinping, 59, face charges of conspiring to act as agents of China's government without informing U.S. authorities and obstruction of justice. They were released on bond following an initial appearance in Brooklyn federal court.

A 2022 investigation published by Spain-based advocacy group Safeguard Defenders reported that China had set up overseas "service stations," including in New York, that illegally worked with Chinese police to pressure fugitives to return to China