Legal Insurrection by Ben Smith 9/23/2025
“This protective intelligence investigation led to the discovery of more than 300 co-located SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards across multiple sites.”The U.S. Secret Service announced this morning the disruption of a sprawling, clandestine telecommunications network scattered across the New York tri-state area, a discovery officials say had the capacity to blind cellular communications and overwhelm emergency channels just as world leaders convened for the U.N. General Assembly.
Special Agent Matt McCool, who is in charge of the Secret Service’s New York Field Office, opened the announcement bluntly:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdVmp1gwyZoThe scale of what agents uncovered was massive.
“The investigation led us to the New York tri-state area, where investigators discovered tens of thousands of co-located and network cellular devices capable of carrying out nefarious telecommunications attacks. These devices allowed anonymous, encrypted communications between potential threat actors and criminal enterprises, enabling criminal organizations to operate undetected. This network had the potential to disable cell phone towers and essentially shut down the cellular network in New York City.”
The Secret Service’s official statement put numbers to that discovery:
“This protective intelligence investigation led to the discovery of more than 300 co-located SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards across multiple sites. In addition to carrying out anonymous telephonic threats, these devices could be used to conduct a wide range of telecommunications attacks.”
Fox News emphasized the proximity of the equipment to the world’s leaders:
“The devices were concentrated within 35 miles of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York City… While forensic examination of these devices is ongoing, early analysis indicates cellular communications between nation-state threat actors and individuals that are known to federal law enforcement.”
McCool stressed the urgency of acting before the threat became operational:
“Given the timing, location, and proximity and potential for significant disruptions to the New York telecom system, we moved quickly to disrupt this network. To be clear, these recovered devices no longer pose a threat to the New York tri-state area.”
More:
https://legalinsurrection.com/2025/09/secret-service-foils-telecom-attack-near-u-n-meeting/
