Secret Service Dismantles ‘Imminent’ Electronic Threat Ahead Of Trump UN Speech

Just hours before President Donald Trump was scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the U.S. Secret Service announced it had taken down a sprawling network of electronic devices capable of crippling communications infrastructure and targeting federal officials with anonymous threats.

In a Tuesday morning briefing, Secret Service Director Sean Curran revealed the operation had uncovered 300 co-located SIM servers and more than 100,000 SIM cards across the New York Tri-State Area, all tied to what investigators described as a foreign-linked cyber operation. The network was discovered within a 35-mile radius of the UN headquarters, some of it hidden in abandoned buildings.

“Imminent Threat” Neutralized

Curran described the network as an “imminent” threat to national security, with the potential to not only disrupt the U.N. General Assembly but also shut down communications between government officials and emergency services.

“The potential for disruption to our country’s telecommunications posed by this network of devices cannot be overstated,” Curran said. “This investigation makes it clear to potential bad actors that imminent threats to our protectees will be immediately investigated, tracked down, and dismantled.”

According to officials, the devices were capable of carrying out encrypted, anonymous communications and could have been used to facilitate coordination between criminal enterprises or hostile foreign actors—undetected. The Secret Service warned that the system had the potential to bring down cell towers and disable large portions of New York City’s cellular network.

Foreign Ties and Ongoing Investigation

Secret Service agent Matt McCool said that no arrests had yet been made, and the agency is still working to identify everyone involved. However, officials confirmed that individuals already known to law enforcement were linked to the scheme.

“We will continue working toward 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 stated.

The initial attacks tied to the network reportedly occurred in the spring, though officials did not disclose which U.S. leaders or agencies were targeted.

Multiple Agencies Involved

The investigation was a multi-agency effort involving Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Justice, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the NYPD. The Secret Service emphasized that the discovery and rapid takedown demonstrate the United States’ ability to detect and disable threats to national security, even as high-profile international events unfold.

President Trump is expected to address the United Nations this afternoon, with security in Manhattan significantly heightened in the wake of the operation. Federal officials say there is no ongoing threat at this time, but the incident has prompted a broader review of telecom vulnerabilities around major government gatherings.