A broad operation of Secret Service in New York, shortly before the meeting in which 193 countries will attend. A network was targeted that involved “hostile state actors”, operating in 3 American states
AI AGENTS AI Secret Service and Police officers in New York, photographed during the network dismantling operation, photo: Andres Kudacki / AP / Profimedia Images
The US Secret Service has abolished a network of sophisticated electronic devices in the New York area, which had been used to threaten the US government officials, the Agency announced a few hours before President Donald Trump would address foreign leaders at the UN General Assembly, Reuters reports.
The devices were concentrated in a 56 km perimeter around the global meeting of the 193 Member States of the Assembly, the secret service said in a statement.
“The preliminary analyzes indicate the existence of cellular communications between hostile state actors and persons known by the federal law enforcement forces,” the statement states.
The authorities confiscated over 300 SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards from several locations, in an operation that the Agency described as an imminent threat to its protective missions.
The devices were used to “carry out multiple threats related to telecommunications, directed against high -ranking officials of the US Government,” said Secret Service.
“This network had the potential to deactivate mobile towers and, practically, paralyzing the New York City cell network,” said Matt McCool, a special responsible agent of the New York Secret Service Bureau, in a video statement.
He said that the devices are no longer a threat to the area. The White House did not respond immediately to the request to comment.
Secret Service agents say the network operated in New York and two other neighboring states
The devices discovered could be used to carry out a wide range of telecommunications attacks, including deactivating mobile telephone towers, facilitating cyber attacks and encrypted communications between criminal groups and hostile actors.
The network used locations in 3 US states: New York, Connecticut and New Jersey.
McCool said the Secret Service started its investigation in the spring and collaborated with other federal and local agencies to identify the devices.
He added that analysts are examining the equivalent of 100,000 mobile phones as a data volume.
The Secret Service said he cannot provide additional details about who is behind these hostile actions, coordinated around the UN annual meeting.
