The U.S. Secret Service thwarted what could have been a significant attack on telecommunications systems in New York City during the UN General Assembly meeting this week.
Officials announced on Tuesday that they had found several devices capable of jamming 911 calls and disabling cell towers throughout the Big Apple, the New York Post reported.
The agency found “more than 300 co-located SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards across multiple sites,” stemming from an investigation beginning this spring.
“The potential for disruption to our country’s telecommunications posed by this network of devices cannot be overstated,” Secret Service Director Sean Curran said.
Matt McCool, who is the special agent in charge of the New York field office for the Secret Service, said the impact would have been profound.
The devices had the capacity to plunge the city into a communications gridlock comparable to what followed the 9/11 attacks, with cell service and 911 networks jammed.
Due to the timing of the findings, the Secret Service is investigating whether the attack was specifically targeted at the UN General Assembly.
Officials are not saying who is responsible for these devices and networks, but it’s clear some foreign criminal networks may have been using them to send encrypted messages.
The Department of Homeland Security released a video on X, featuring McCool’s remarks about the investigation’s findings.
“Today, the @SecretService announced the dismantling of a network of electronic devices—located within 35 miles of the United Nations General Assembly—used to carry out a wide range of telecommunications attacks,” the caption reads.
“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 post explains.
McCool’s video shared information about the aim and scope of the investigation.
WATCH:
Today, the @SecretService announced the dismantling of a network of electronic devices—located within 35 miles of the United Nations General Assembly—used to carry out a wide range of telecommunications attacks.
The potential for disruption to our country’s telecommunications… pic.twitter.com/frh4scsVAF
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) September 23, 2025
The top agent explained that the Secret Service was sharing the findings “as a matter of public interest, given the timing, amount, and concentration of material recovered during a recent Secret Service Protective Intelligence investigation.”
McCool said “multiple telecommunications-related imminent threats directed towards senior U.S. government officials” earlier this year prompted the Secret Service to conduct a “protective intelligence investigation” of the threat.
“This was a difficult and complex effort to identify the source of fraudulent calls and their impact on the Secret Service protection mission,” McCool said.
“During that period, we leveraged technical assistance and support of federal partners, including Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Justice, and the Director of National Intelligence,” as well as the New York Police Department.
The probe uncovered the vast network “capable of carrying out nefarious telecommunications attacks,” McCool said.
“These Devices allowed anonymous encrypted communications between potential threat actors and criminal enterprises, enabling criminal organizations to operate undetected,” he added.
“This network had the potential to disable cell phone towers and essentially shut down the cellular network in New York City.”
McCool said that “the timing, location, proximity, and potential for significant disruptions to the New-York Telecom system” prompted the Secret Service’s rapid response.
“To be clear, these recovered devices no longer pose a threat to the New York Tri-State area,” McCool said.
“We will continue working towards identifying those responsible and their intent, including whether their plan was to disrupt the UN General Assembly and communications of government, and emergency personnel during the official visit of world leaders in and around New York City.
“Forensic examinations of the equivalent of 100,000 cell phones’ worth of data are underway,” McCool assured the public.
The top agent also made it clear that these were “cellular communications between foreign actors and individuals that are known to federal law enforcement” and therefore already on their radar.
“Given the sensitivity and complexity of this investigation, we are not able to go into specifics at this time,” McCool added, noting that the Secret Service’s investigation will continue.
The Secret Service has saved New York City from a consequential attack with its investigation and swift action.
Unfortunately, one neutralized threat does not mean that the city or the nation is safe from such attacks in the future.
READ MORE – Trump Drops the Hammer on UN Members: ‘Your Countries Are Going to Hell’
Our comment section is restricted to members of the Slay News community only.
To join, create a free account HERE.
If you are already a member, log in HERE.