On March 25, 2024, federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) carried out court-approved raids on Sean “Diddy” Combs’s residences in Los Angeles and Miami.
These operations were part of an ongoing federal sex-trafficking investigation overseen by prosecutors from the Southern District of New York. According to DHS officials, the enforcement actions were led by HSI New York with support from HSI offices in Los Angeles and Miami, as well as local law enforcement agencies.
Broadcast footage showed heavily armed agents sweeping through Combs’s Holmby Hills mansion in Los Angeles, assisted by LAPD and Beverly Hills police, while a similar search took place at his Star Island property in Miami with backup from Miami-Dade officers. Authorities also stopped Combs at a Miami airport that same day, confiscating multiple electronic devices from his possession. The date and nature of the raids – targeting two homes on March 25 – have been consistently confirmed by reputable sources including Reuters, NPR, CNN, and the Associated Press.
Agencies Involved: HSI (DHS) versus DEA
All reliable reports confirm that Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), was the lead agency in the March 25 raids on Sean “Diddy” Combs’ properties. Sources consistently cite HSI offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami, along with local law enforcement, as the only agencies involved. There has been no mention of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) participating in any capacity. In fact, DHS and HSI spokespersons have publicly stated that the actions were carried out solely by HSI, with one statement clearly noting: “HSI New York executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation.”
Local police departments – including Beverly Hills PD, LAPD, and Miami-Dade PD – were present to provide support with perimeter security and crowd management. While the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York is leading the prosecution, there is no evidence to suggest that the FBI or DEA played a role in executing the search warrants. Bottom line: these were HSI-led DHS operations, not a DEA-led drug raid.
Electronic Devices and Other Evidence Seized
Federal agents collected a significant amount of digital and physical evidence during the March 25 searches of Sean “Diddy” Combs’s properties. According to law enforcement sources cited by ABC News and NPR, agents seized “a number of electronic devices” both at the residences and from Combs himself when he was intercepted at the Miami airport. At both his Los Angeles and Miami homes, HSI agents confiscated a range of items, including phones, tablets, laptops, and external drives.
Court filings later revealed that prosecutors secured “several terabytes of electronic material” from more than 40 devices and at least five cloud storage accounts tied to Combs. In addition to digital evidence, agents also collected physical items that could be relevant to the ongoing sex-trafficking and RICO investigation.
Items seized included:
Phones, tablets, and laptops: Federal agents collected numerous mobile devices and computers from Combs’s residences and directly from his possession.
Hard drives & cloud data: Investigators extracted and cloned data from over 40 devices and accessed multiple cloud accounts, resulting in several terabytes of digital material.
Party supplies and weapons: Reports and court documents reference the discovery of so-called “freak-off party” paraphernalia, narcotics, lubricants (over 1,000 bottles), baby oil, and three AR-15 rifles. These details surfaced primarily in civil filings.
Cash and records: Authorities also seized business documents, ledgers, and other financial records, consistent with the kind of evidence pursued in RICO and trafficking cases.
During the Miami airport stop, Combs was found in possession of additional electronic devices, which were also confiscated. Prosecutors claim this growing body of digital evidence forms a core part of the government’s case. In response, Combs’s legal team has demanded access to the material. In January 2025, they filed a motion seeking all seized data – including the so-called “freak-off” videos – arguing they depict only consensual activities.
Video and Surveillance Evidence
Video evidence plays a major role in the federal case against Sean “Diddy” Combs. One key piece is surveillance footage from March 2016 showing Combs assaulting ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. A federal judge ruled that the hotel hallway video – where Combs is seen punching, dragging, and kicking Cassie – can be shown to the jury despite its prejudicial nature, citing its strong evidentiary value.
Prosecutors have also reviewed multiple videos from Combs’s “freak-off” parties, including nine recordings involving Combs and Ventura. His attorneys argue these show consensual sex and support his innocence. In January 2025, they asked the court to compel the government to turn over copies of the footage for use at trial. The videos remain under protective order at Ventura’s request.
Rumors of hidden cameras or underground tunnels at Combs’s homes have been debunked. No official reports confirm such surveillance, and fact-checkers have flagged viral posts as false. Publicly known footage comes only from devices and party videos legally seized. While civil suits allege private cameras were used, authorities have not confirmed any surveillance captured during the raids.
Impact on Ongoing Case and Trial
The March 2024 raids played a direct role in fueling the federal case against Sean “Diddy” Combs. On September 16–17, 2024, Combs was arrested in New York and indicted by a grand jury on charges including racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking by force. The indictment, unsealed on September 17, draws heavily from civil suit allegations. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams and HSI officials credited the case to the “unwavering strength of victims and witnesses” who came forward.
Evidence gathered during the Diddy raids – devices, party materials, and videos – is central to the prosecution. Authorities have retrieved “several terabytes” of data from Combs’s electronics. His legal team has challenged this, filing motions in February 2025 to suppress the evidence, claiming the search warrants were overly broad and based on false claims. They’ve also demanded access to the “freak off” videos, arguing those recordings counter the government’s case.
The trial is scheduled to begin on May 5, 2025. Judge Subramanian has already ruled that jurors may view the hotel footage of Combs assaulting Cassie Ventura. Prosecutors say graphic details from his parties and related videos are key to proving the trafficking conspiracy. The defense, meanwhile, insists all encounters were consensual and part of swinger events. Both sides continue to reference raid materials in pretrial filings – prosecutors stressing the volume of seized evidence, and the defense portraying the raids as an aggressive overreach.
To recap, DHS/HSI – not the DEA – conducted the March 25, 2024 raids of Diddy’s homes. Investigators seized electronic devices, weapons, and party-related items. Some of this evidence, especially the videos, is expected to be presented at trial. Although the defense is pushing back hard against the searches, the case remains on track for trial with the raid evidence at its core.
