The U.S. Secret Service said Tuesday it dismantled a sprawling network of SIM servers hidden in abandoned apartments across the New York tri-state area, which investigators warned could have disrupted communications during this week’s United Nations (UN) General Assembly.
Authorities said more than 300 SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards were seized across multiple sites within 35 miles of the U.N. meeting in New York.
“This network had the potential to disable cellphone towers and essentially shut down the cellular network in New York City,” said Matt McCool, the special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s New York field office, in a video released Tuesday.
McCool said the investigation, carried out with support from Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Justice, and the New York Police Department, began last winter after a surge of swatting calls targeting senior U.S. officials, including lawmakers, judges, and presidential candidates.
The service said preliminary findings show the network was used by foreign governments to communicate with individuals tied to organized crime, drug cartels, and human trafficking operations.
🚨Update: The Secret Service dismantled a network of more than 300 SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards in the New York-area that were capable of crippling telecom systems and carrying out anonymous telephonic attacks, disrupting the threat before world leaders arrived for the UN… pic.twitter.com/wBpkFNg809
— US Homeland Security News (@defense_civil25) September 23, 2025
Alongside the servers, agents seized firearms, narcotics, and computers during the recent operations.
McCool emphasized that the recovered devices no longer pose a threat to New York or the U.N. gathering. So far, no arrests have been announced.
The Security Service said forensic examinations of data equivalent to 100,000 cell phones are now underway.
“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.
