The US Secret Service said Tuesday that it has foiled a major communications threat in New York, just as more than 150 world leaders gather for the UN General Assembly this week.
Investigators said the sprawling network of more than 300 SIM servers would have blacked out cell service in New York City and jammed 911 calls, in what the Associated Press called “one of the most sweeping communications threats uncovered on U.S. soil.”
One investigator said that the “well organized and well funded” network “could text message the entire country within 12 minutes.”
The system was discovered as part of an investigation into telecom threats targeting senior government officials. Officials said that the devices no longer pose a threat.
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