# US Secret Service Dismantles Covert Communications Network near U.N. in New York

In a significant operation, the US Secret Service has dismantled a sophisticated covert communications network located near the United Nations headquarters in New York. The agency seized over 100,000 SIM cards and 300 servers, which were capable of sending an unprecedented 30 million texts per minute. This discovery raises grave concerns about mobile network security and the potential for espionage, tracking, or other malicious activities.

The operation was the result of a protective intelligence investigation by the US Secret Service, which uncovered multiple telecommunications-related threats directed towards senior U.S. government officials. The agency's advisory stated that the device cache posed an imminent threat to its protective operations and highlighted the blurred lines between cyber operations and traditional criminal organizations.

During the raid, investigators also found illegal firearms, computers, cell phones, and 80 grams of cocaine, underscoring the complexity of modern threats. While the network was not directly linked to the U.N. General Assembly at the time, its proximity and potential impact raised serious concerns among authorities. Experts speculate that the cache could be linked to nation-state actors, with some speculating that it may have been set up by a foreign nation or a sophisticated cybercrime ring.

The dismantled cache was an extensive parallel network consisting of racks of servers with 100,000+ SIMs, capable of flooding carriers, disrupting services, or launching mass phishing campaigns. This equipment poses significant risks beyond outages, including espionage, eavesdropping, or tracking officials. Preliminary forensic analysis suggests that cellular communications between nation-state threat actors and individuals known to federal law enforcement have taken place.

"The scale of this discovery is unprecedented," said Anthony J. Ferrante, former White House cybersecurity official and current global head of cybersecurity at FTI Consulting. "This looks sophisticated and expensive — my instinct is espionage." Researchers believe that only a handful of countries such as Russia, China, or Israel would have the resources and capabilities to set up such a covert communications network.

While this discovery highlights the risks during high-profile events like the General Assembly, it is not the first time that communications networks have been exploited or hijacked. In 2017, security experts in Washington, D.C., detected multiple IMSI catchers (devices that mimic legitimate cell towers to intercept calls and texts) near sensitive sites, including the White House and Capitol Hill. Similarly, Mexican authorities dismantled parallel telecom networks operated by drug cartels in 2021.

This incident serves as a stark reminder that communications networks can be weaponized for malicious purposes. Threats like disabling cell networks, spying, or hijacking data are real and impact security and safety. The discovery of this covert communications network near the U.N. underscores the importance of vigilance during high-profile events, where millions of messages per minute and anonymous communication could be exploited for espionage.

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