Federal agents on Monday searched the Miami Beach mansion of rapper and music mogul Diddy as part of an ongoing sex trafficking investigation.
Footage from Chopper 6 showed multiple agents at the rapper's property on the exclusive Star Island. Agents with Homeland Security have executed search warrants out of the Southern District of New York at Diddy's properties in Miami and Los Angeles, law enforcement sources familiar with the matter told NBC News.
The investigation involves allegations of sex trafficking, sexual assault, and the solicitation and distribution of illegal narcotics and firearms, the source told NBC News. Federal officials in Manhattan have interviewed three women and a man for the investigation.
NBC6 captured agents walking through the more than $30-million-dollar home with paper bags and walking out with multiple boxes and laptops.
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Agents also seized phones from the rapper, who was in Miami at the time of the raids and was scheduled to depart for a trip to the Bahamas, sources said. There was no information regarding the number of phones, where the agents seized them, or whether they had any direct interaction with Diddy.
"The speed at which it appears these raids were conducted suggests that agents were concerned that they needed to secure evidence quickly and prevent anyone from destroying evidence before they got there," legal analyst Danny Cevallos told NBC News.
In a statement on Tuesday, Combs' attorney called the raid an "unprecedented ambush" that the mogul was not detained but cooperated and spoke to authorities.
“Yesterday, there was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs’ residences. There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated," Aaron Dyer's statement said in part.
The attorney clarified that Combs nor any of his family members were not arrested and their travel was not restricted.
"This unprecedented ambush — paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence — leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits," Dyer said. "There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations. Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name.”
There have been several sexual assault lawsuits filed against the rapper, whose real name is Sean Combs, in recent months.
In February a music producer filed a lawsuit alleging Combs coerced him to solicit prostitutes and pressured him to have sex with them. Combs' attorney Shawn Holley has said of those allegations that “we have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies.”
Combs’ former protege and girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, sued him in November alleging years of sexual abuse, including rape. The lawsuit said he forced her to have sex with male prostitutes while he filmed them. The suit was settled the day after it was filed.
Another of Combs’ accusers was a woman who said the rap producer raped her two decades ago when she was 17.
Combs had said in a November statement, "I did not do any of the awful things being alleged."
Combs is among the most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the past three decades. Formerly known as Puff Daddy, he built one of hip-hop’s biggest empires, blazing a trail with several entities attached to his famous name. He is the founder of Bad Boy Records and a three-time Grammy winner who has worked with a slew of top-tier artists including Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil Kim, Faith Evans and 112.
Combs created the fashion clothing line Sean John, launched the Revolt TV channel with a focus on music, and produced the reality show “Making the Band” for MTV.
