100,000 SIM Cards and 30 Million Messages per Minute: US Secret Service Uncovers Major Spy Network in New York
Who wanted to disrupt communications during the UN General Assembly?
Who wanted to disrupt communications during the UN General Assembly?
The US Secret Service announced that it has dismantled a network of telecommunications equipment in New York that could have disrupted mobile communications. The devices were located near the UN headquarters, where the General Assembly is currently taking place with the participation of world leaders.
According to the service, the network included over 100,000 SIM cards and about 300 servers. The equipment allowed for the anonymous exchange of encrypted messages, disabling cell towers, and launching attacks that could take telecommunications systems offline. One official reported that the network's capacity reached 30 million text messages per minute—a scale the agency had not seen before.
The investigation began in the spring after anonymous calls were made to three high-ranking officials: a Secret Service employee and two White House representatives. The agency described these calls as "swatting calls."
"Given the timing, location, and threat of serious disruptions to New York's telecommunications, the agency quickly took measures to shut down the network," the Secret Service said in a statement.
The head of the New York Field Office of the Secret Service, Matt McCool, noted that an analysis of the SIM cards revealed links to at least one foreign state and to individuals already known to law enforcement, including cartel members. "We will continue to determine who was behind this network and what their goals were, including whether they attempted to disrupt government and emergency services communications during the world leaders' visit to New York," he added.
Published photos show racks filled with SIM cards and antennas. According to McCool, the network could disable cell towers and effectively "crash" mobile networks.
The operation involved the US Department of Justice, the New York Police Department, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and Homeland Security Investigations. According to McCool, the investigation is ongoing, and "there is no reason to believe that similar devices could not appear in other cities."
During the search, along with the SIM servers, agents also discovered controlled substances, illegal weapons, computers, and mobile phones.
