Federal officials searched the properties of rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs on Monday.
The Department of Homeland Security stated that the “law enforcement actions were carried out as part of an ongoing investigation” in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami.
The investigation included searches at two properties in Los Angeles and Miami.
Officials did not explain the reasons for the raids or whether they were related to Mr Combs.
Several recent cases have accused Mr. Combs of sexual misconduct.
In a statement, Mr. Combs’ attorneys said the claims against him were “meritless,” and the raids were a “gross overuse of military-level force.”
Homeland Security Investigations agents were conducting operations on Monday at the 17,000-square-foot estate where Mr Combs announced the release of his new record in September.
The house’s address is affiliated with Mr Combs’ production firm, Bad Boy Films. Located in the affluent Los Angeles neighborhood of Holmby Hills, the area is home to several celebrities and the Playboy Mansion.
Two law enforcement officials told the Associated Press that the raids were part of an ongoing sex trafficking investigation.
The BBC has not independently validated this information.
Last year, R&B singer Cassie, real name Casandra Ventura, filed a federal lawsuit in New York against Mr Combs, whom she dated from 2005 until 2018.
In court records, she claimed years of abuse at the hands of the rapper, but she later resolved the case with him.
Two additional women subsequently filed their own cases accusing him of sexual assault. A man has also come forward, accusing Mr Combs of sexual misconduct.
Douglas Wigdor, the lawyer for Ms Ventura and another alleged victim, stated on Monday that his clients supported the law enforcement actions.
“Hopefully, this is the start of a process that will hold Mr Combs accountable for his depraved behavior,” Mr. Wigdor said in a statement.
On Tuesday, Mr Combs’ attorney, Aaron Dyer, repeated that his client had not been detained and described the raid as “nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits.”
“There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated,” he told reporters.
“Mr. Combs was never jailed, but he did speak to and cooperate with officials.
“There has been no determination of criminal or civil responsibility in any of these charges. “Mr. Combs is innocent and will fight every day to clear his name.”
Mr. Combs is one of the most important and prominent hip-hop producers of the last few decades.
He founded Bad Boy Records and is a three-time Grammy winner who has collaborated with A-list musicians including Usher and Mary J Blige.
