NYPD Investigates Migrants Emerging from Sewers Near Penn Station

The NYPD is investigating after a video surfaced showing individuals climbing out of a manhole near Penn Station in New York City on August 18 at 4 a.m.

Detectives believe those seen exiting the sewer system are migrants scavenging for valuables. Officials are looking for three people seen in the footage near Seventh Avenue and 32nd Street.

Previous incidents in Brooklyn and Queens involved similar underground entries, leading to arrests, though many charges were dropped due to first-time offenses or declined prosecutions, according to NYPD sources.

Matt McCann, a local construction worker, has witnessed these trespassers and described their gear as resembling coal miners' caps and waders.

"I don't know what the hell they're doing down there because they get the waders on. You know, they got their coal miners caps going on," McCann said.

The New York City sewer system consists of approximately 7,400 miles of pipes built in the 1800s, creating a complex underground network.

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) inspected the sewer infrastructure following these incidents and found no structural damage or immediate threats.

"DEP works closely with our public safety partners to help ensure the safety and security of critical infrastructure throughout New York City. Entering the sewer system is both illegal and extremely dangerous," a DEP spokesperson said.

"Sewers can contain numerous hazards, including noxious and potentially deadly gases, unstable surfaces, flooding risks, and confined spaces. For these reasons, members of the public should never enter a pipe, drain, catch basin, manhole, or outfall," the spokesperson added.

Detectives have connected some participants in earlier sewer scavenging cases to migrants from Venezuela, a community that has grown in New York City since the immigration crisis began in 2022.

In May, four arrests were made in Williamsburg and Gravesend involving individuals scavenging underground. One arrest in Queens also followed a similar incident, but charges were not pursued.