The most recent headlines from our reporters throughout the US despatched straight to your inbox every weekdayYour briefing on the most recent headlines from throughout the USHomes belonging to Sean “Diddy” Combs in Los Angeles and Miami have been raided by officers from US Homeland Safety on Monday 25 March in connection to a federal intercourse trafficking investigation.The sudden raids come because the rapper and music mogul – who’s credited with serving to launch the careers of artists together with Biggie Smalls, Mary J Blige and Usher – has confronted a string of various accusations over the previous six months, together with sexual assault.Right here’s every part it’s good to know:Why have been Diddy’s properties raided?The raids – on Diddy’s Los Angeles mansion is within the upmarket Holmby Hills space, close to Bel Air and Beverly Hills, and his Miami Seashore house on the unique Star Island – have been carried out “in reference to a federal intercourse trafficking investigation” based on Fox 11.In an announcement, the Division of Homeland Safety stated: “Earlier at the moment, Homeland Safety Investigations New York executed legislation enforcement actions as a part of an ongoing investigation with help from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami and our native legislation enforcement companions. “We’ll present additional info because it turns into out there.”Authorities stroll on a avenue close to Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ LA property throughout the raid (Copyright 2024 The Related Press. All rights reserved)Federal brokers at Diddy’s house in Star Island, Miami Seashore, throughout the raid (Copyright 2024 The Related Press. All rights reserved.)NBC Information cited an unnamed supply as saying that three ladies and a person had been interviewed by federal officers in Manhattan and that three different interviews have been scheduled regarding allegations of intercourse trafficking, sexual assault, and the solicitation and distribution of unlawful narcotics and firearms.Federal brokers did discover firearms on Diddy’s properties in LA and Miami, based on sources who spoke to NBC Information. The kind of firearms allegedly discovered and the authorized house owners of the firearms are nonetheless unknown.It stays unconfirmed whether or not Diddy himself is the main focus of the investigation.Fox 11 has additionally shared video footage of the raid taken from an overhead helicopter that reveals a number of people in handcuffs outdoors the property, together with Diddy’s two sons.Diddy additionally has one other house, bought in Atlanta, Georgia in 2003, that has sat vacant for a number of years. Current photos present the counters coated in mud and chandeliers coated in cobwebs. This property was not raided.The place is Diddy?Hypothesis as to Diddy’s whereabouts have circulated for the reason that raids.Details about a personal jet belonging to the rapper was faraway from a preferred flight monitoring web site on Tuesday 26 March. The black, 20-seat black Gulfstream Aerospace GV-SP is registered to LoveAir LLC.In line with TMZ, the airplane was noticed on the bottom in Antigua, within the Caribbean, shortly after information of the raids broke. Diddy is just not believed to have been on board the jet on the time.The outlet reported, primarily based on flight information, that the jet had travelled throughout California between Sunday 24 and Monday 25 March, taking off from Sacramento Government Airport at round 5.30pm on Sunday night and touchdown at Palm Springs Worldwide Airport about an hour later. It later took off once more, stopping at Van Nuys Airport, simply north of Los Angeles. A while later it left Van Nuys and landed in Antigua, based on TMZ.On Tuesday, flight information was now not out there on-line. A press release on FlightAware.com learn: “This plane (N1969C) is just not out there for public monitoring per request from the proprietor/operator.”Nevertheless, studies point out the airplane returned on Wednesday morning and has remained parked on the Miami-Opa Locka Government Airport ever since.Diddy was noticed in public for the primary time following the raids on Thursday evening, when he went to Miami golf membership High Golf together with his twin daughters.Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs properties raided by fedsWhat are the accusations towards Diddy?The rapper and music mogul, 54, has confronted a string of sexual assault allegations in current months.In February, music producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones accused Diddy of sexually assaulting him and forcing him to sleep with intercourse staff.The lawsuit, filed in federal courtroom in New York, accused the music mogul of repeated cases of unsolicited groping and sexual touching. It additionally stated that the person needed to work in a rest room whereas Diddy showered and walked round bare. Mr Jones additionally recognized Rapper 50 Cent‘s former girlfriend and the mom of one among his youngsters as one of many alleged intercourse staff. She has denied the claims and stated she is contemplating authorized motion.One other lawsuit, filed in December, alleged that Diddy had gang-raped a 17-year-old woman in 2003. The plaintiff, recognized as Jane Doe, accused Diddy of plying her with medication and alcohol at his New York studio after which raping her together with two associates. The swimsuit accused Diddy of a “intercourse trafficking scheme,” during which Jane Doe was flown by personal jet from her house in Michigan to New York.Others within the media sphere have additionally come out towards him, citing their detrimental experiences. Tanika Ray, a TV host and one-time backup singer for Diddy, stated she had a “horrific” expertise with the rapper. “I simply knew to keep away from him in any respect prices … Sure, I danced for him and saved my area. I interviewed him for his tasks and saved my area. Nothing that’s occurring is stunning,” she wrote, per Web page Six.In the meantime, a lately resurfaced video reveals Diddy questioning a nervous Justin Bieber, who seems to be 16 years previous, about why he had supposedly been preserving his distance.Diddy has vehemently denied all accusations towards him and has not been charged with against the law.Lawsuit with CassieIn November, Diddy and R&B singer Cassie, whose full title is Cassandra Ventura, settled a lawsuit after she claimed that she was trafficked, raped and crushed by the rapper on many events over 10 years.Cassie (left) and Sean “Diddy” Combs on the 2017 Met Gala (Getty Photos)Her lawsuit alleged that Diddy introduced the singer into his “ostentatious, fast-paced, and drug-fueled way of life” not lengthy after she met him, and signed her to his label when she was 19 and he was 37 in 2005.Cassie stated that the sample of abuse started as quickly as their relationship began and that, as she was making an attempt to finish it in 2018, he compelled her into her Los Angeles house and raped her.Her accusations towards Diddy have been introduced by way of the New York Grownup Survivors Act (ASA), which expired at midnight on 23 November 2023The act offered survivors a one-year window to pursue civil litigation no matter when the abuse occurred, that means incidents from a long time have been lastly delivered to mild. Over 2,500 circumstances have been filed below the ASA earlier than its expiry at midnight on 23 November 2023, courtroom information despatched to The Impartial confirmed. Survivors introduced lawsuits towards among the state’s strongest males, together with main gamers in leisure, similar to Invoice Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, Axl Rose, and Diddy.The swimsuit involving Cassie and Diddy was settled days later.What has Diddy stated?The music mogul has strongly denied all of the accusations towards him and vowed to “battle for my title, my household and for the reality.”On Tuesday, attorneys for the rapper launched an announcement describing the actions of US Homeland Safety throughout the property raids on Monday as a “gross overuse of army degree drive”. “Yesterday, there was a gross overuse of military-level drive as search warrants have been executed at Mr Combs’ residences. There isn’t a excuse for the extreme present of drive and hostility exhibited by authorities or the best way his youngsters and workers have been handled,” his lawyer stated.“There was no discovering of felony or civil legal responsibility with any of those allegations. Mr Combs is harmless and can proceed to battle each single day to clear his title.”Diddy is reportedly cancelling his plans and staying put within the US to battle towards any allegations that he was concerned in gun, drug, and intercourse trafficking.Sources who spoke with the Los Angeles Occasions stated that Diddy was planning to go away for a spring break trip together with his daughters, however has since cancelled these plans. He reportedly nonetheless has his passport.In an announcement in December following the lawsuit introduced by Jane Doe, Diddy referred to as the claims “sickening” and stated his accusers have been “searching for a fast payday”.Federal brokers on the scene of the raid of Diddy’s house in Miami (Copyright 2024 The Related Press. All rights reserved.)“Let me be completely clear: I didn’t do any of the terrible issues being alleged,” he stated in an announcement. “I’ll battle for my title, my household and for the reality.”Diddy’s lawyer, Shawn Holley, branded the occasions described within the lawsuit as “pure fiction”.“We’ve got overwhelming, indeniable proof that his claims are full lies,” he stated. “We’ll deal with these outlandish allegations in courtroom and take all applicable motion towards those that make them.”Following the settlement with Ventura, Ben Brafman, one other lawyer for Diddy, instructed The Impartial: “Simply so we’re clear, a call to settle a lawsuit, particularly in 2023, is by no means an admission of wrongdoing. “Mr. Combs’s determination to settle the lawsuit doesn’t in any manner undermine his flat-out denial of the claims.“He’s joyful they bought to a mutual settlement and desires Ms Ventura one of the best.”