Locations of Dismantled Telecom Network near UN General Assembly in New York

New York City – September 23, 2025  As federal investigators continue to unravel the full scope of the dismantled telecommunications threat network in the New York tristate area, one key detail remains under wraps: the precise addresses where over 300 SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards were seized. The U.S. Secret Service, in coordination with the FBI and NYPD, has cited operational security and the active nature of the investigation as reasons for withholding specifics, emphasizing that public disclosure could compromise leads on potential nation-state actors or criminal affiliates.

The agency's official statement, released Tuesday, describes the devices as "co-located" across "multiple sites" within a 35-mile radius of the United Nations headquarters in Midtown Manhattan—encompassing parts of New York City, Long Island, Westchester County, and northern New Jersey. This strategic placement, officials noted, positioned the network to potentially disrupt communications during the high-profile 80th UN General Assembly session, where leaders from nearly 150 nations are convening to address global crises from climate change to conflict resolution.Sources close to the investigation, speaking anonymously to avoid jeopardizing the probe, provided limited additional context on the sites. According to these insiders, the hardware was primarily hidden in low-profile, semi-abandoned urban structures to evade detection:

• Five primary locations in New York City boroughs: Agents reportedly uncovered clusters in derelict apartment buildings in Brooklyn and Queens, chosen for their proximity to dense cellular infrastructure and ease of anonymous access. One site in Brooklyn's industrial edges allegedly housed a rack of servers capable of simulating up to 30 million text messages per minute, enough to overload emergency lines like 911.

• Secondary sites in suburban Westchester and Nassau Counties: Smaller caches were found in vacant commercial spaces and utility-adjacent warehouses, extending the network's reach into Long Island. These outlying spots facilitated relay operations, bouncing signals to amplify jamming capabilities across the tristate grid.

• No confirmed New Jersey recoveries: While the tristate footprint includes Newark and Jersey City, early forensics point to all seizures occurring on the New York side of the Hudson, though cross-border traffic analysis is ongoing.

The lack of public addresses aligns with standard protocol for counterintelligence operations, particularly those involving foreign adversaries. "Releasing exact coordinates isn't just a privacy issue—it's a tactical one," explained cybersecurity expert Dr. Raj Patel of the Brookings Institution. "These SIM farms were engineered for stealth; tipping off copycats or accomplices could spawn replicas before we trace the funding." Early analysis of the seized SIM cards has already revealed encrypted cellular chatter between "nation-state threat actors" and U.S.-flagged criminal enterprises, per the Secret Service, fueling speculation of hybrid threats blending state-sponsored espionage with organized crime.

No arrests have been made, but the operation—led by the agency's newly formed Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit—yielded ancillary seizures including illegal firearms, narcotics, and computing gear, suggesting broader illicit use beyond the UN-targeted threats. Investigators are now poring over metadata from the 100,000+ SIMs to map supply chains, with preliminary traces leading to overseas bulk purchases.

As UNGA security remains on high alert, with enhanced sweeps in the 35-mile perimeter, the episode underscores the evolving risks to urban infrastructure. "This wasn't a lone hacker in a basement," Secret Service Director Sean Curran reiterated in his briefing. "It was a scalable weapon aimed at our core lifelines—communications that keep cities, officials, and diplomats safe." Full details on the sites may emerge only in court filings, if and when indictments drop.

17GEN4.com

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