The U.S. Secret Service has dismantled a massive, sophisticated network of electronic devices in the New York tristate area, thwarting what it described as an “imminent threat” to senior U.S. government officials and the agency’s protective operations.
The operation led to the seizure of over 300 SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards that could have been used to launch large-scale telecommunications attacks, including disabling cell phone towers.
The discovery was made as part of a protective intelligence investigation that uncovered multiple sites housing the equipment. These devices were strategically located within 35 miles of the United Nations General Assembly, which is currently underway in New York City, heightening the urgency of the intervention.
Authorities believe the network was capable of carrying out operations that include disabling cell phone towers, denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, and providing encrypted communication channels for criminal enterprises and hostile actors.
Sophisticated Network of Malicious Devices
The scale of the operation underscores the potential for severe disruption. Investigators found rooms filled with racks of SIM servers, also known as SIM banks.
These devices are designed to hold and manage thousands of SIM cards simultaneously, allowing operators to automate cellular activities, spoof caller IDs, and route communications through a vast web of untraceable numbers.
This infrastructure could have been weaponized to overwhelm cellular networks, creating a communications blackout in a critical metropolitan area.
In addition to making anonymous threats against high-profile individuals, the network’s capabilities presented a significant risk to public safety and national security.
The ability to disable cell phone towers could cripple emergency services, disrupt financial markets, and sow widespread chaos, particularly during a high-stakes event like the UN General Assembly, which brings numerous world leaders to the city.
The U.S. Secret Service moved swiftly to dismantle the network given the timing, location, and the grave potential for disruption.
While the forensic examination of the seized devices is still in its early stages, preliminary analysis has uncovered alarming connections.
According to the Secret Service, early findings indicate cellular communications between known nation-state threat actors and individuals already on the radar of federal law enforcement.
This link suggests the operation may have been part of a foreign intelligence or state-sponsored campaign to undermine U.S. security interests.
The investigation is being led by the U.S. Secret Service’s Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit, a newly formed section dedicated to neutralizing the most significant and imminent threats against its protectees.
“The potential for disruption to our country’s telecommunications posed by this network of devices cannot be overstated,” said U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran.
“The U.S. Secret Service’s protective mission is all about prevention, and this investigation makes it clear to potential bad actors that imminent threats to our protectees will be immediately investigated, tracked down and dismantled.”
The ongoing investigation involves close collaboration with several key partners, including the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Justice, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the NYPD, along with other state and local law enforcement agencies that provided technical advice and support.
As forensics experts continue to analyze the seized hardware, more details are expected to emerge about the full scope of the network, its intended targets, and the foreign entities behind it.
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