NEW YORK, NY — A large police presence late Sunday near the Verrazano Bridge in Brooklyn has led to several individuals taken into custody in connection with the Chelsea bombing from Saturday.

Five men who may be connected to the bombs were taken into custody Sunday night by the FBI as they crossed from Staten Island into Brooklyn over the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, sources said. They have not been charged. FBI Assistant Director William Sweeney said in a Monday press conference after the apprehension of Ahmad Khan Rahami that the car was stopped because it had been located at an address associated with the suspect. The individuals were not being charged with anything and were no longer being detained as of Monday afternoon.



The men had several weapons in the SUV, according to a law enforcement source. The FBI was led to the men after discovering more pipe bombs at a Elizabeth, New Jersey train station, sources said. NJ Transit confirmed "police activity" was holding up trains from entering New York-Penn Station on Sunday night. The mayor of Elizabeth told NBC New York that two people discovered a backpack in a garbage bin near the station which contained pipe bombs. One of the bombs accidentally went off while being disabled by a robot, but no one was injured, officials said.

#NEC rail service is temporarily suspended between Newark Airport and Elizabeth stations due to police activity near Elizabeth.

— NJ TRANSIT (@NJTRANSIT) September 19, 2016 The New York Post reported that the men were headed to the airport. A source would only tell Patch that was being investigated.

Sources said that the men are believed to be connected to the attack but refused to elaborate on why.

State Sen. Marty Golden, who represents the 22nd District in south Brooklyn, said on Instagram at 10:30 p.m. that "about an hour ago, the FBI took several individuals into custody on the Belt Parkway in the area underneath the Verrazano Bridge, with a possible connection to the bombing last night in Chelsea," saying the information came from the NYPD.

However, an NYPD spokesperson told Patch they had no information on any possible operation on the Verrazano Bridge late Sunday.

The FBI confirmed they had taken multiple people in custody, but had not charged anyone.

We did a traffic stop of a vehicle of interest in the investigation. No one has been charged with any crime. The investigation is continuing

— FBI New York (@NewYorkFBI) September 19, 2016 Golden is a former NYPD officer, who retired from the force in 1983 after suffering an injury on the job.

