Particle.news
Download on the App Store
65 ARTICLES
·
1h ago

Secret Service Dismantles Covert Telecom Network Near U.N., Cites Imminent Threat to NYC Cell Service

Investigators are reviewing the seized devices to determine who ran the network.

Law enforcement officials discovered over 300 SIM servers within 35 miles of New York City, which they believe are being used by foreign governments and criminals in the US.
Image
Left, Secret Service Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office Matt McCool in a video shared by the agency detailing the uncovering of a telecoms threat. Right, some of the equipment discovered by the Secret Service across the New York tristate area.
Law enforcement officials uncovered over 300 SIM servers all within the New York tristate area.

Overview

  • Agents seized more than 300 SIM servers and about 100,000 SIM cards at multiple sites clustered within 35 miles of U.N. headquarters.
  • The system, officials said, could have disabled cell towers, jammed 911, enabled denial‑of‑service messaging, and sent up to 30 million texts per minute.
  • The discovery stemmed from a protective‑intelligence probe launched after spring telecommunications threats targeting senior U.S. officials.
  • Early forensic analysis indicates cellular communications between nation‑state actors and individuals known to federal law enforcement, though public attribution remains pending.
  • The devices no longer pose an immediate threat; no arrests have been announced, and a multiagency investigation involving DHS/HSI, DOJ, ODNI and NYPD is ongoing.