Besides being a danger to US officials, the Secret Service indicated that the devices had the capability to disable cellphone towers and disrupt emergency communications in the area.

Initiating its probe in the spring due to “multiple telecommunications-related imminent threats” aimed at senior US government officials, the Secret Service discovered over 300 SIM card servers and 100,000 SIM cards spread across five locations in the New York area.

Matt McCool, the head of the Secret Service New York Field Office, stated in a video that the network could potentially disable cellphone towers and effectively shut down New York City’s cellular network. Meanwhile, Anthony Ferrante from FTI Consulting told The New York Times that the system might have been employed for eavesdropping.

McCool further noted that preliminary analysis indicates cellular communications between foreign actors and “individuals known to law enforcement.” The agency is probing whether threat actors intended to exploit the network during the UN General Assembly. As reported by CBS News, officials mentioned that these servers could handle 30 million text messages per minute and described the system as “well-organized and well-funded.”

“These recovered devices no longer pose a threat to the New York tri-state area,” McCool affirmed. “The Secret Service will pursue all leads until the complete intent of the operation is understood.”