After federal authorities on Monday raided homes owned by rapper and record producer Sean "Diddy" Combs in Los Angeles, California, and Miami, Florida, the current whereabouts of Combs are unknown.
Investigators with the Department of Homeland Security executed search warrants at properties belonging to Combs in Miami and the Holmby Hills suburb of Los Angeles on Monday afternoon.
In recent months, Combs has faced several legal battles, with lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault and trafficking. The raids were reportedly tied to sex-trafficking allegations leveled by different plaintiffs, the Associated Press reported, citing law enforcement sources.
Homeland Security Investigations said in a statement that it had "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 response to the raids, Combs' attorney, Aaron Dyer, told Newsweek in an statement emailed on Tuesday, "There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated. Mr. Combs was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities."
However, since the raids many have been wondering about Combs' current whereabouts as Combs has not been seen in public since Monday.
Newsweek has reached out to Combs' representatives via email for comment.
Combs was last seen walking around at the Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport just hours after the raids at his homes started, according to videos from TMZ showing the rapper.
Meanwhile, despite reports circulating that Combs arrived in the Caribbean island of Antigua aboard a private jet, the island's Prime Minister Gaston Browne told Newsweek on Tuesday that the rapper has not landed in Antigua.
"There is no credible information that he is here. To the contrary, he did not arrive on the flight yesterday to Antigua," Browne said in a message.
This comes as Homeland Security agents and Miami-Dade police officers, who accompanied them, arrested Brendan Paul, a man in Combs' entourage after cocaine and marijuana-laced candy was allegedly found in his bag.
They did not detain Combs at the executive airport in Miami, but they did stop a plane on the ground.
Newsweek has reached out to the Miami Police and Los Angeles Police Department via email for comment.
Paul was also recently described in a lawsuit against Combs as his "mule" for narcotics and firearms.
In recent months, Combs has been hit with several legal battles, with lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault and trafficking. Combs is currently facing a $30 million lawsuit from music producer Rodney Jones.
Jones filed his lawsuit on February 26, making a number of accusations against Combs, including sexual misconduct, grooming and participating in sex-trafficking activity. Attorneys for Combs strongly denied the allegations, previously saying: "We have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies."
In addition, in a separate case, Combs' ex-girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie, sued him in November, alleging years of sexual abuse. The lawsuit, which accuses Combs of forcing her to have sex with male prostitutes while he filmed, was settled the day after it was filed.
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Natalie Venegas is a Weekend Reporter at Newsweek based in New York. Her focus is reporting on education, social justice ... Read more
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