Full Breakdown
Sewer Intrusion and Protests Highlight Security Scrutiny During Netanyahu’s UN Visit
By Drooid · · How we work
Incident Overview
On the early morning of September 25, 2026, surveillance footage captured two Queens residents—Kevin Rodriguez, 26, and Samuel Reveron, 25—emerging from a manhole on Park Avenue near East 61st Street, directly across from the Loews Regency hotel where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was slated to stay for the United Nations General Assembly. Police said the men entered the city’s underground sewer system looking for valuables such as gold chains, rings, and scrap metal. Both were charged with criminal trespass and conspiracy and released after an arraignment.
Background & Context
Netanyahu’s presence in New York for the UN General Assembly triggered heightened security measures across the city. Federal partners, including the U.S. Secret Service, coordinated with the NYPD to monitor the hotel’s vicinity and conduct additional sweeps of the sewer network. The visit also sparked street protests organized by groups such as Jewish Voice for Peace, the Democratic Socialists of America, and the Palestinian Youth Movement, demanding an end to U.S. military aid to Israel.
Timeline
- May 28, 2026 – A Brooklyn manhole intrusion leads to two arrests for criminal trespass.
- September 23, 2026 – Video shows three unidentified individuals exiting a manhole near the hotel.
- September 24, 2026 – Approximately 100 protesters are arrested outside the UN as Netanyahu delivers his speech.
- September 25, 2026 – Rodriguez and Reveron are arrested after the sewer incident near the hotel.
Data & Statistics
- Sewer incident: 2 suspects arrested; charges of trespass and conspiracy; both released without bail.
- Protest arrests: Over 100 demonstrators detained, including public figures such as actress Hannah Einbinder, actress Susan Sarandon, and congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier.
- Prior incidents: At least three separate sewer-related sightings have been documented in recent months.
Official Statements & Responses
- Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned Netanyahu’s rhetoric, labeling the prime minister a “war criminal” and accusing him of “sanitizing his genocide of Palestinians.” He noted that the mayor’s office had warned protesters before arrests were made.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Israel didn't commit genocide. Israel prevented genocide,” — Benjamin Netanyahu
- “Accusing Israel of genocide is the greatest lie of the century,” — Benjamin Netanyahu
- “I'm here because I want to stop US complicity in the genocide that is happening in Gaza and the West Bank,” — Cynthia Nixon, New York City Council member
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the number of individuals involved in the September 23 sewer sighting: some reports describe three men, while the arrests on September 25 pertain to only two suspects, with investigators still searching for a possible third participant. The NYPD has not confirmed whether the three observed on September 23 are the same individuals later arrested.
What’s Next
The NYPD and federal partners will continue “additional security sweeps” of the sewer system surrounding the hotel throughout the UN General Assembly week. Investigators remain active in locating any remaining participants in the sewer intrusion, and the department has indicated that the investigation is ongoing.