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Reported by:
Cherry Meigh Timbol
News Content Editor
Published September 26, 2026
NEW YORK — Two Queens men have been arrested after surveillance cameras captured three individuals climbing out of a Manhattan manhole just steps from the hotel where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was staying during the 2026 United Nations General Assembly, according to the New York Police Department.
The unusual incident unfolded before dawn near Park Avenue and East 61st Street on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, an area placed under heightened security because of the presence of world leaders attending the annual UN gathering.
Arrests follow surveillance footage
Police identified the suspects as Kevin Rodriguez and Samuel Reveron, both 25 and from Queens. Investigators charged the pair with trespassing and conspiracy after reviewing surveillance footage showing three men emerging from the sewer around 4:35 a.m. before fleeing in two waiting vehicles.
Authorities said a third individual seen in the footage has not yet been apprehended, and the investigation remains ongoing.
No terrorism connection, NYPD says
Despite the sensitive location, the NYPD emphasized there is no evidence linking the suspects to Netanyahu, the United Nations, or any planned terrorist activity. Detectives told reporters the men admitted entering the city’s sewer system to search for valuables and scrap metal that often wash into storm drains after heavy rain.
As a precaution, the NYPD and federal law enforcement partners conducted additional security sweeps around the hotel and nearby streets. Officials reported that nothing suspicious was discovered.
A growing trend beneath New York
The Park Avenue episode is the latest in a string of unusual sewer-related incidents across New York City. Over recent months, authorities have documented multiple cases of people entering or emerging from manholes in Queens, Brooklyn, and near Penn Station—often wearing waders and headlamps while scavenging for discarded valuables.
The city’s vast underground network has long attracted urban explorers, treasure hunters, and social media content creators, though officials warn that unauthorized entry into sewer infrastructure is both illegal and extremely dangerous.
Heightened security during the UN General Assembly
The sighting triggered immediate concern because it occurred while New York was hosting dozens of heads of state and diplomatic delegations for the UN General Assembly. Netanyahu’s hotel, located just blocks from Midtown’s diplomatic security zone, was already under extensive police protection.
Although the timing fueled widespread online speculation, investigators say the evidence points to a criminal trespassing case rather than a security threat.
🧩 Bottom Line:
What initially appeared to be a potential security scare near Benjamin Netanyahu’s New York hotel has, according to police, become a case of alleged sewer scavenging. Two men now face trespassing and conspiracy charges, while authorities continue searching for a third person seen emerging from the manhole.
SOURCES: THE GATEWAY PUNDIT – Two Men Arrested After Being Spotted Emerging from Manhole Near NYC Hotel Where Netanyahu Regularly Stays for UN General Assembly
THE STRAITS TIMES – NYC sewer explorers arrested after sighting by Netanyahu’s hotel
