U.S. says dismantles possible telecom network threat to U.N. summit

The U.S. Secret Service on Tuesday (September 23, 2025) said it had dismantled a network of more than 1,00,000 SIM cards that could have crashed New York’s telecommunications network ahead of the U.N. General Assembly, linking the threat to “nation-state” actors.

“In addition to carrying out anonymous telephonic threats, these devices could be used to conduct a wide range of telecommunications attacks,” the agency said in a statement.

“This includes disabling cell phone towers, enabling denial of services attacks and facilitating anonymous, encrypted communication between potential threat actors and criminal enterprises.”

The U.N.’s high-level general debate kicks off in New York on Tuesday, with U.S. President Donald Trump due to address the summit on its first day.

The U.S. Secret Service said the devices it seized were located within a 35-mile (56-kilometer) radius of the U.N. General Assembly.

“Given the timing, location and potential for significant disruption to New York telecommunications posed by these devices, the agency moved quickly to disrupt this network,” the statement said.

It said that while forensic examination of the devices and a broader investigation was ongoing, “early analysis indicates cellular communications between nation-state threat actors and individuals that are known to federal law enforcement.”

Images shared by the agency showed scores of SIM cards connected to telecommunications equipment.