Recently, federal agents conducted raids on the residences of hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs in Los Angeles and Miami. These actions, led by officials from the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New York, were prompted by a lawsuit filed against Combs last year, alleging his involvement in sex trafficking.
Although the Department of Homeland Security confirmed the searches, they refrained from providing specific details about the nature of the investigation. Nonetheless, HSI possesses jurisdiction over a broad spectrum of illicit activities, including sex trafficking.
The lawsuit, filed by R&B singer Cassandra Ventura in federal court in Manhattan, accuses Combs of subjecting her to physical abuse, sexual slavery, and rape during their ten-year relationship. It cites violations of sex trafficking and human trafficking statutes under federal and state laws in New York and California.
Following the raids, Ventura and Combs, known by various stage names including P Diddy, Puff Daddy, and Diddy, announced the next day that they had reached a settlement in the case under confidential terms.
Combs, aged 54, maintains his innocence, asserting that the accusers were merely seeking monetary gain. Ventura’s legal action has led to additional lawsuits, with other plaintiffs alleging sexual assault and rape against Combs.
In December, Combs refuted the latest civil complaint, which accused him of involvement in the gang rape of a teenager two decades ago, after arranging for her to travel from Detroit to New York.
Television stations in Los Angeles aired aerial footage showing HSI agents and law enforcement authorities raiding Combs’s estate in the upscale Holmby Hills neighborhood. Several individuals were reportedly detained outside the residence, although it remains unclear if any arrests were made.
Reports from local news outlets indicated that federal authorities also executed a search warrant at the rap mogul’s home in the Miami area. Footage depicted officers entering and exiting the property on Star Island in Miami Beach, with agents seen carrying a box of materials from the premises. Combs’s whereabouts during the raids were undisclosed.
Following the federal raids, 50 Cent took to Instagram to mock Sean “Diddy” Combs. The two rappers, known for their longstanding feud since the early 2000s, have often engaged in public spats.
In a now-deleted post, 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, shared a screenshot of a TMZ article detailing the raid. He captioned the post with a jab at Combs, saying, “Now it’s not Diddy do it, it’s Diddy Done. They don’t come like that unless they got a case.”