Teams of federal agents, including Homeland Security Investigative officials, were seen conducting coordinated raids at two homes associated with rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs on Monday.
When asked to confirm the surprise searches, authorities said that HSI New York "executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami and our local law enforcement partners."
In a brief statement they added: "We will provide further information as it becomes available."
HSI officials did not respond to requests from NPR to clarify if Combs was the target of the raids.
The Los Angeles mansion connected to Combs is in the Holmby Hills neighborhood and is not owned by the music mogul, but it has been connected to Combs' company, Bad Boys Film Production, according to KTLA in Los Angeles.
The residence in Miami was purchased by Combs in 2021.
Aerial footage from KTLA in Los Angeles showed multiple SWAT vehicles stationed near a large home. Meanwhile, teams of agents in bulletproof vests appeared to remove several items from the home and officials were seen questioning several people.
The reason for the raids is unclear but they come on the heels of a lawsuit alleging that the 54-year-old was the leader of a criminal enterprise that could qualify as a "widespread and dangerous criminal sex trafficking organization."
As NPR previously reported, Combs has become the subject of several civil suits accusing him of sexual misconduct, including rape and assault. Combs has denied all accusations of sexual misconduct. He has not been criminally charged with any of the allegations.
Messages to Combs' lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, seeking comment were not immediately returned.
In November 2023, singer Cassie Ventura, who had signed a 10-album deal with Combs' Bad Boy Entertainment when she was 19, accused Combs of years of sexual misconduct, harassment, sex trafficking and rape.
Ventura's civil suit was filed in New York Superior Court under the state's Adult Survivors Act, a New York law permitting victims of sexual abuse a one-year window to file civil action regardless of the statute of limitations of the crimes themselves.
More recently, producer Rodney "Lil Rod" Jones, who worked on Combs' latest release, The Love Album: Off the Grid, accused the famed rapper of sexual assault in a civil suit filed in federal court. The suit claims that Combs groped Jones repeatedly and during the making of the album, Combs forced Jones to solicit sex workers, take illegal drugs and more.
The suit also names others close to Combs as co-defendants. In an Instagram post last December, Combs denied he did any of the things he was accused of and vowed to fight for his name.
This is a developing story.
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