As foreign leaders filled midtown hotels and motorcades congested Manhattan, officials revealed a groundbreaking takedown that underscores a new frontier of risk: plots targeting the invisible infrastructure that keeps modern cities interconnected. This significant operation was part of a broader investigation led by the U.S. Secret Service into telecommunications threats aimed at senior government officials.
Investigators disclosed that the network was discovered as part of an extensive Secret Service investigation. The servers, spread across multiple locations, operated like banks of mock cellphones. They had the capability to generate mass calls and texts, overwhelm local networks, and mask encrypted communications used by criminals. “It can’t be understated what this system is capable of doing,” stated Matt McCool, the special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s New York field office. “It can take down cell towers, which means people can no longer communicate. You can’t send text messages or use your cell phone. Coupled with other events associated with the U.N. General Assembly, the consequences could be catastrophic for the city.”
Despite the alarming capabilities of the network, officials stated that there is no current evidence of a direct plot to disrupt the U.N. General Assembly. They emphasized that there are no known credible threats to New York City at this time. However, forensic analysis is still in its early stages. Agents believe that nation-state actors from specific countries utilized the system to send encrypted messages to organized crime groups, cartels, and terrorist organizations, according to McCool.
Authorities have not yet revealed specific details regarding the government or criminal groups linked to the network. “We need to conduct forensic analysis on around 100,000 cell phones, examining all phone calls, text messages, and communications to determine where those numbers lead,” McCool explained, noting that this investigative process will require substantial time and effort.
During the investigation, agents discovered rows of servers and shelves filled with SIM cards. Over 100,000 SIM cards were already active, with many more on standby, indicating that the operators were poised to double or even triple the network’s capacity. McCool described the setup as a well-funded and highly organized operation, costing millions of dollars in hardware and SIM cards. The network had the potential to send up to 30 million text messages per minute.
“The U.S. Secret Service’s protective mission focuses on prevention, and this investigation clearly demonstrates to potential bad actors that any imminent threats to our protectees will be swiftly investigated, tracked down, and dismantled,” stated Sean Curran, the agency’s director. Officials also highlighted the chaos this network could have unleashed had it remained operational. McCool compared the possible impact to the cellular blackouts experienced during the September 11 attacks and the Boston Marathon bombing when networks were overwhelmed.
In this instance, McCool noted that attackers could have orchestrated such a shutdown at a time of their choosing. “Could there be others?” he asked, warning, “It would be unwise to assume that there aren’t other networks being established in other cities across the United States.” The takedown of this telecommunications threat is a reminder of the ongoing challenges faced by law enforcement in safeguarding urban infrastructures.
