US Secret Service: 'Imminent telecom threat' dismantled in New York ahead of Trump's UN speech

The US Secret Service has taken down a sprawling network of electronic devices across the New York tristate area that posed an "imminent" threat to senior US government officials and critical telecommunications infrastructure, the agency reported on Tuesday (September 23, 2025).

Investigators uncovered more than 300 co-located SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards at multiple sites.

US President Donald Trump is set to speak at the UN General Assembly. The general debate, which starts on Tuesday, is the main event, when representatives from each member state will speak on various issues.

According to the agency, the equipment was capable of carrying out anonymous telephonic threats and could also be weaponised for broader attacks — including disabling cell towers, launching denial-of-service (DOS) assaults, and enabling encrypted communications between criminal networks and foreign adversaries.

Nation-state threat actors

Preliminary forensic analysis revealed cellular traffic linking nation-state threat actors and individuals already known to federal law enforcement.

“The potential for disruption to our country’s telecommunications posed by this network of devices cannot be overstated,” said U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran.

“The US 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.”

UN General Assembly

The discovery came just as world leaders gathered in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Most of the devices were found within 35 miles of the meeting’s venue, prompting the Secret Service to act swiftly to neutralise the risk of mass disruption.

The operation was led by the agency’s Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit, a newly formed section dedicated to neutralizing the most severe and immediate security threats.

The investigation remains active, with support from the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Justice, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the NYPD, and state and local law enforcement partners, who provided technical expertise and operational support.

Officials say further analysis of the seized devices is ongoing.