New York City police took 26-year-old Kevin Rodriguez of Flushing and 25-year-old Samuel Reveron of Elmhurst into custody around 5:30 p.m. Thursday on trespass and conspiracy charges. The arrests followed surveillance video that captured the pair and a third person exiting a manhole on Park Avenue near East 61st Street early Wednesday. Officers linked the incident to an ongoing citywide pattern in which people enter the sewer system to search for lost valuables, jewelry, and scrap metal. Similar cases have been associated by officials with suspected Venezuelan nationals. The Upper East Side location, close to hotels hosting United Nations General Assembly visitors, triggered additional security sweeps even though authorities found no terror connection.

A Fox 5 NY reporter approached one of the men in a blue hoodie as he left his court hearing and attempted to ask questions. The suspect avoided the camera and walked away without responding. The rapid arrests and the presence of a third individual still at large leave open questions about how many people are involved in these underground scavenging operations and whether more entries have gone undetected. Investigators continue examining the full extent of the activity beneath the city’s streets. The case highlights the challenges of monitoring access points in a dense urban environment during a high-profile international event.