US Secret Service Foils Telecommunications Attack Targeting New York During UN Assembly

The US Secret Service announced on Tuesday that it had successfully dismantled a complex network of electronic devices intended to disrupt New York City’s telecommunications infrastructure in an attack timed around the United Nations General Assembly.

While the agency refrained from directly naming the perpetrators, it linked the devices to "nation-state" actors and individuals known to federal law enforcement. A law enforcement source revealed that investigators suspect involvement from the Chinese government.

Secret Service Director Sean Curran emphasized the threat’s magnitude, stating, "The potential for disruption to our country’s telecommunications posed by this network of devices cannot be overstated."

The discovery was made in response to anonymized telephonic threats targeting senior US officials, raising concerns about the possibility of various telecommunications attacks. The agency noted that the devices could have disabled cell phone towers, initiated denial-of-service attacks, and enabled encrypted, anonymous communications among threat actors and criminal organizations.

Special Agent Matt McCool confirmed efforts are ongoing to identify those responsible and their motives, including whether the attack was specifically planned to affect the UN General Assembly. No arrests have been made to date.

Investigations began this spring after authorities detected a series of fraudulent calls aimed at high-ranking officials. The dismantled network spanned multiple locations within a 35-mile radius of the UN headquarters and included approximately 300 computer servers and 100,000 SIM cards.

The Secret Service acted swiftly given the potential timing and scale of disruption. Early assessments show communications between foreign threat actors and individuals known to federal law enforcement. Further analysis identified links to at least one foreign nation and connections with drug cartel operatives.

In addition to the electronic equipment, authorities found 80 grams of cocaine and illegal firearms at some of the seizure sites, underscoring the criminal dimension intertwined with this plot.