Secret Service says it busted 'nefarious' network capable of crippling NYC cellphone system, linked to 'nation-state' threats

The U.S. Secret Service claims to have discovered and dismantled a massive telecommunications network in the New York tristate area. Investigators warned the network posed a serious potential threat to New York City's telecommunications and was a possible disturbance to the United Nations General Assembly meetings this week.

The concerning devices were concentrated within 35 miles of the United Nations General Assembly, which is currently under way in New York City. The Secret Service said the location of the devices had "potential for significant disruption to New York telecommunications."

'Early analysis shows the network was used for communication between foreign governments and individuals known to US law enforcement, including members of known organized crime gangs, drug cartels, and human trafficking rings, according to multiple officials briefed on the investigation.'

The U.S. Secret Service said in a statement on Tuesday, "The U.S. Secret Service dismantled a network of electronic devices located throughout the New York tristate area that were used to conduct multiple telecommunications-related threats directed towards senior U.S. government officials, which represented an imminent threat to the agency's protective operations."

The Secret Service discovered more than 300 co-located SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards across multiple sites.

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The Secret Service noted, "In addition to carrying out anonymous telephonic threats, these devices could be used to conduct a wide range of telecommunications attacks. This includes disabling cell phone towers, enabling denial of services attacks, and facilitating anonymous, encrypted communication between potential threat actors and criminal enterprises."

The devices are undergoing a forensic examination, but investigators' early analysis indicates "cellular communications between nation-state threat actors and individuals that are known to federal law enforcement."

Matt McCool — the special agent in charge of the Secret Service's New York field office — explained in a video released on Tuesday that the investigation began "following multiple telecommunications-related imminent threats directed towards senior U.S. government officials this spring."

McCool stressed that the devices were "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," McCool added.

McCool noted, "This network had the potential to disable cellphone towers and essentially shut down the cellular network in New York City."

McCool stressed that the recovered devices no longer pose any threat to the New York tristate area.

McCool said there have yet to be any arrests in the case.

"We will continue working towards identifying those responsible and their intent, including whether their plan was to disrupt the U.N. General Assembly and communications of government and emergency personnel during the official visit of world leaders in and around New York City," McCool said.

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An anonymous official briefed on the investigation told CBS News that the sophisticated network was "well-organized and well-funded," and "could text message the entire country within 12 minutes."

CBS News reported, "Early analysis shows the network was used for communication between foreign governments and individuals known to U.S. law enforcement, including members of known organized crime gangs, drug cartels, and human trafficking rings, according to multiple officials briefed on the investigation."

"Each SIM basically has the equivalent data of a cell phone," an official informed CBS News. "So we're working through every call, every text, every search made on those SIM cards."

U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran stated, "The potential for disruption to our country's telecommunications posed by this network of devices cannot be overstated. The U.S. Secret Service's protective mission is all about prevention, and this investigation makes it clear to potential bad actors that imminent threats to our protectees will be immediately investigated, tracked down, and dismantled."

The investigation was led by the U.S. Secret Service's Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit, a new unit of the agency with a mission of "disrupting the most significant and imminent threats to our protectees."

The Secret Service noted that the investigation was aided by the Department of Homeland Security's Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Justice, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the NYPD, as well as other state and local law enforcement partners.

The Secret Service said the investigation is ongoing.

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