The US Secret Service has dismantled a covert network of telecommunications devices discovered across the New York tri-state area, which officials say posed an imminent threat to national security and the safety of senior government officials.
The dismantling operation followed a protective intelligence investigation that uncovered more than 300 SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards distributed across multiple locations. The Secret Service states that these assets were capable of conducting anonymous phone-based threats, disrupting local telecommunications infrastructure, and facilitating secure, encrypted communication between criminal networks and suspected nation-state actors.
The devices were reportedly located within a 35-mile radius of the United Nations General Assembly, currently underway in New York City. Officials suggest that the proximity and timing of the discovery, combined with the network’s capabilities, marked the system as a credible and urgent threat, prompting swift action from the Secret Service’s Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit (ATIU), a relatively new division tasked with neutralizing high-risk threats to US protectees.
While full forensic analysis of the seized equipment is ongoing, preliminary data shows active cellular communications linking foreign nation-state threat actors with individuals already known to US federal law enforcement. The agency did not specify which countries are suspected to be involved, nor did it disclose the nature of the threats issued via the network, citing the sensitivity of the ongoing investigation.
The infrastructure uncovered in this operation could be used to disable cellular towers, launch denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, and mask communications between threat actors using encrypted protocols over anonymized SIM channels. Officials warn that these systems are part of a broader trend in the weaponization of common telecom infrastructure, particularly through the abuse of SIM-boxes, virtual SIM management systems, and “grey” mobile routing technologies.
The US Secret Service collaborated with multiple federal and local partners during the investigation, including the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit, the Department of Justice, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the New York Police Department. These entities provided both technical and operational support, contributing to what officials describe as a swift and coordinated interdiction effort.
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