Secret Service Dismantles SIM Network Near UN

The U.S. Secret Service dismantled a large illicit telecommunications network across the New York tristate area within roughly 35 miles of the U.N. ahead of the U.N. General Assembly, seizing more than 300 co‑located SIM servers and over 100,000 SIM cards at multiple sites. Officials said the equipment could have disabled cell towers, imperiled emergency response and protective operations, enabled denial‑of‑service attacks, and sent mass anonymous messages while facilitating encrypted communications. The takedown grew out of a months‑long probe into anonymous telephonic threats targeting senior U.S. officials and was discovered amid security preparations for visiting world leaders; authorities say the devices no longer pose an immediate threat and no arrests have been announced. Early forensic work and officials briefed on the investigation have linked the setup to nation‑state actors and to communications between foreign governments and individuals known to U.S. law enforcement, and some outlets report possible ties to China as well as links to criminal groups. The seized hardware is under forensic examination as investigators work to identify those responsible and their intent.