The U.S. Secret Service announced on Tuesday that it had successfully dismantled a network of electronic devices located throughout the New York tristate area, which were used to conduct multiple telecommunications-related threats against senior U.S. government officials. These devices were concentrated within a 35-mile radius of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York City, raising concerns about the potential for significant disruption to the city’s telecommunications infrastructure.
The agency stated that the investigation revealed over 300 co-located SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards distributed across several sites. These devices were equipped to carry out anonymous telephonic threats and could also be used to conduct a variety of telecommunications attacks, including disabling cell phone towers, enabling denial of service attacks, and facilitating encrypted communication between threat actors and criminal enterprises. While forensic analysis of the devices is still ongoing, early findings suggest potential links to nation-state actors and individuals known to federal law enforcement.
Law enforcement agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Justice, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the New York Police Department, are collaborating on the investigation. Secret Service Director Sean Curran emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that the potential for disruption to the country’s telecommunications infrastructure was substantial. He noted that the agency’s protective mission is centered on prevention, and that this investigation sends a clear message to potential threat actors that any imminent threats to protectees will be swiftly investigated, tracked down, and dismantled.
Given the timing and location of the devices, the Secret Service acted quickly to neutralize the network, which they believed could pose a serious risk to the UN General Assembly meeting and the broader New York area. President Donald Trump is set to deliver a speech at the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, adding an additional layer of security concern for the event.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.