Secret Service uncovered an immense operation to cripple a U.S. city
America’s enemies never sleep. They want us all on our knees.
And now Secret Service uncovered an immense operation to cripple a U.S. city.
Secret Service Dismantles Vast Illegal SIM Network Near UN Headquarters
The U.S. Secret Service revealed Tuesday that it had uncovered and seized a sprawling network of illegal electronic devices in the New York tri-state area, capable of overwhelming cell towers and disrupting emergency communications just as world leaders arrived for the United Nations General Assembly.
The operation, conducted in August, netted more than 300 co-located SIM servers and over 100,000 SIM cards at multiple sites within a 35-mile radius of the UN, including abandoned apartment buildings. This marks one of the largest such seizures on record, with investigators emphasizing the system’s potential to flood networks with up to 30 million text messages per minute or jam 911 calls entirely.
Secret Service Director Sean Curran described the find as critical, stating, “The potential for disruption to our country’s telecommunications posed by this network of devices cannot be overstated.”
The agency’s Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit led the effort, which began in the spring amid reports of telecom threats against senior U.S. officials. Agents discovered rows of servers and shelves of activated and unused SIM cards during raids, along with additional items like 80 grams of cocaine, illegal firearms, computers, and cellphones. No direct link to a plot against the UNGA has surfaced, and officials confirmed no ongoing threats to New York City, but the proximity raised alarms given the event’s high security demands.
Capabilities of the Network Highlighted as a Major Telecom Vulnerability
The seized equipment posed risks far beyond routine interference, with the ability to disable cell towers and mimic the cellular blackouts seen after the 9/11 attacks, when overwhelmed networks left residents unable to communicate.
Matt McCool, special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s New York field office, explained in a video statement, “It can take down cell towers, so then no longer can people communicate, right? …. You can’t text message, you can’t use your cell phone. And if you coupled that with some sort of other event associated with UNGA, you know, use your imagination there, it could be catastrophic to the city.”
Early forensic reviews indicate the network facilitated encrypted communications between nation-state actors and U.S.-known entities, including organized crime groups, drug cartels, human trafficking rings, and possibly terrorist organizations.
The Secret Service, in collaboration with the New York Police Department, Justice Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, acted swiftly due to the timing.
McCool noted, “Given the timing, location and proximity and potential for significant disruptions to the New York telecoms system, we moved quickly to disrupt this network.” The investigation continues, with agents sifting through vast data logs from the SIM cards to trace origins and connections.
Ongoing Probe Seeks Culprits Behind Potential Nationwide Threat
Forensic work remains in early stages, involving analysis of calls, texts, browser history, and other communications from the 100,000 SIM cards. McCool detailed, “We need to do forensics on 100,000 cell phones, essentially all the phone calls, all the text messages, anything to do with communications, see where those numbers end up.”
While perpetrators from specific countries are suspected, no arrests have been announced, and the full scope of the operation’s intent—beyond threats to officials—is under review.
The discovery points to a broader vulnerability in U.S. telecom infrastructure, with McCool warning, “This is an ongoing investigation, but there’s absolutely no reason to believe we won’t find more of these devices in other cities.”
