The US Secret Service has taken down a network of electronic devices near the UN in New York in preparation for a speech by the United States president. The service disclosed that it had detected an “imminent threat” to Donald Trump as world leaders convened in New York for the UN General Assembly. The network, comprising SIM cards and servers, had the potential to disrupt the telephone network and impede 911 emergency calls.
The Secret Service, tasked with safeguarding Trump and other high-ranking officials, uncovered about 300 SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards spread across various locations in the New York tristate area. This elaborate network had the capability to disrupt mobile networks and facilitate communication among malicious entities, according to the agency.
Sean Curran, the agency’s director, emphasized the significant risk posed by this network of devices to the country’s telecommunications infrastructure. Officials cautioned that the devices could execute various telecommunications attacks, including flooding networks with up to 30 million text messages per minute, resulting in severe repercussions for the city.
Matt McCool, the special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s New York field office, explained that the network could disable cell towers, rendering communication impossible. He highlighted the potential catastrophic impact if such an event coincided with activities related to the UN General Assembly.
The discovery of this covert network was part of a comprehensive Secret Service investigation initiated in the spring following telecommunications threats targeting senior US government officials. During the raids on the locations, agents uncovered numerous servers and stacks of SIM cards, both activated and awaiting deployment.
Mr. McCool stated that forensic analysis of the seized devices is still underway to trace all communications associated with the 100,000 cell phones and SIM cards. Although no specific threat was reported against the General Assembly, the Secret Service swiftly dismantled the network due to its proximity to the global summit, located within 35 miles.