Federal authorities conducted raids at two residences belonging to Sean Combs on Monday as part of an investigation into sex trafficking, a law enforcement source confirmed to Rolling Stone. The operation, led by Homeland Security, comes in the wake of allegations made by Combs’ ex-girlfriend, singer Cassie, earlier this year.
Helicopters and law enforcement agents were observed swarming Combs’ Los Angeles mansion on Monday afternoon. Video footage depicted individuals, identified later as Combs’ sons Justin and King, being detained outside the Holmby Hills residence. Similar activity was reported at Combs’ Miami home. NBC News stated that Combs was in Florida during the raid, and officials reportedly confiscated his phones before his scheduled departure for the Caribbean.
According to a source cited by Rolling Stone, four Jane Does and one John Doe have already provided interviews to investigators from the Southern District of New York as part of a probe into alleged sex trafficking, domestic violence, and racketeering. Further interviews are reportedly scheduled. A spokesperson for Homeland Security Investigations released a statement saying, “Earlier today, Homeland Security Investigations (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. We will provide further information as it becomes available.”
Rolling Stone reportedly reached out to Sean Combs for comment, but no response has been received at the time of writing.
Douglas Wigdor, legal representative for Cassie Ventura and a Jane Doe accuser, expressed support for the law enforcement efforts in a statement to Rolling Stone, saying, “We will always support law enforcement when it seeks to prosecute those that have violated the law. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a process that will hold Mr. Combs responsible for his depraved conduct.”
Attorney Tyrone Blackburn, representing two accusers, music producer Rodney Jones and Liza Gardner, commented, “It’s about damn time. Sometimes justice delayed is not justice denied, so long as justice ultimately arrives.” Jones filed a lawsuit against Combs last month, alleging sexual assault, harassment, and failure to compensate him for work on the Grammy-nominated The Love Album. Gardner filed suit in November, alleging that Combs and singer-songwriter Aaron Hall raped her following an Uptown Records event in 1990.
