U.S. Secret Service agents have disrupted a plot that could have severely impacted New York City's telecommunications network, officials announced on Tuesday. This revelation comes as over 150 world leaders gather in the city for the United Nations General Assembly.

Secret Service Director Sean Curran emphasized the seriousness of the threat, stating, "The potential for disruption to our country's telecommunications posed by this network of devices cannot be overstated." The investigation began last spring, and officials suspect a connection to the Chinese government, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the case.

The threat was identified during routine protective operations for the president and key officials. While the agency has not disclosed specific details about how the plot was uncovered, it was revealed that agents discovered it while investigating threats against three individuals, one of whom had direct access to President Donald Trump. No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing.

Due to the sensitive nature of the case and the involvement of a foreign government, officials have been cautious in sharing information. Secret Service agents, along with the New York Police Department and other federal agencies, seized hundreds of servers and over 100,000 cellphone SIM cards from various locations in the New York metropolitan area.

The equipment found was capable of sending 30 million anonymous texts per minute, which could have overwhelmed the region's phone systems. However, it remains unclear whether the devices were intended to be activated during the UN General Assembly or in connection with it. Investigators do not currently believe there is a direct threat to the event, but they are taking precautions given the heightened climate of global conflict and domestic political violence.

The UN General Assembly commenced on Monday at the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan, with President Trump scheduled to address the assembly on Tuesday. The event will conclude on September 29. Investigators are also exploring the possibility of additional locations related to the plot.