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A specialized unit within the U.S. Secret Service, investigating a surge of “swatting” threats against high-ranking officials, has unearthed an alarming network of over 300 SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards, primarily concentrated within 35 miles of New York City. Law enforcement officials warn this sophisticated operation possessed the capability to disable New York City’s cell system, disrupt emergency services, and facilitate activities for foreign governments, spies, hackers, and organized crime.
The investigation was prompted by a wave of dangerous hoax calls that targeted prominent figures, including Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, Senator Rick Scott, then-presidential candidate Nikki Haley, and the federal judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s election subversion case. These calls, falsely reporting shootings or violence, posed an “imminent threat” to the Secret Service’s protective operations, according to Matt McCool, special agent in charge of the agency’s New York field office.
Unmasking the Threat: A Fledgling Unit’s Discovery
Six months ago, the Secret Service’s Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit, collaborating with the Department of Homeland Security, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the New York Police Department, and other state and local agencies, began peeling back the layers of burner phones, rapidly changing numbers, and SIM cards used in these swatting attempts.
Their trail led them to an apartment just outside New York City, then to another rented space, and eventually to a sprawling, clandestine network of more than 100,000 SIM cards and 300 SIM servers. This discovery marks the largest seizure of such devices ever made by the Secret Service.
These SIM servers, strategically located in areas like Armonk, New York; Greenwich, Connecticut; Queens, New York; and across the river in New Jersey, formed a virtual circle around New York City’s cellular network infrastructure. Officials explained that the sheer volume of SIM cards allowed “threat actors” to make thousands of calls using constantly rotating phone numbers, making them incredibly difficult to trace.
Beyond Hoaxes: A National Security Concern
The capabilities of this hidden electronic maze extended far beyond simple swatting calls. Matt McCool highlighted its immense power, stating it could have sent an encrypted and anonymous text message to every person in the United States within just 12 minutes. More critically, it had the potential to overwhelm cellular towers, crippling New York City’s entire cell service and preventing residents from accessing vital communication and navigation tools.
While no arrests have been announced, early forensic analysis suggests that foreign governments and various criminal enterprises in the U.S. utilized this network. “That includes cartels, that includes human traffickers, that includes terrorists,” McCool told CNN, emphasizing the operation was “absolutely well funded and well-organized.”
Network Dismantled, Vigilance Continues
Law enforcement officials confirm the network has been dismantled and no longer poses an immediate threat to New York’s telecommunications. However, McCool cautioned against complacency, stating, “It would be unwise to think that there’s not other networks across the country.” The Secret Service unit is now actively working to identify similar illicit operations nationwide.
U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran underscored the severity of the situation, remarking, “The potential for disruption to our country’s telecommunications posed by this network of devices cannot be overstated.”
MobileX, one of the wireless service providers whose SIM cards were found during the investigation, issued a statement. Founder and CEO Peter Adderton acknowledged the reports, stating, “Our platform is designed to be easy to use and cost-effective, qualities that unfortunately can also attract occasional bad actors.” He added that MobileX has robust safeguards in place to detect and block suspicious activity, including automated or bulk usage, and routinely shuts down such instances on its network.