Federal agents discovered cash, drugs, and lubricants in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ hotel room shortly after his September 2024 arrest, according to sworn testimony by a Homeland Security Investigations agent (ABC News). This article presents the latest verified evidence from official sources, outlines what remains unconfirmed, and helps you separate fact from speculation in an unfolding legal story.

Last checked: 2026-09-13

Arrest location and date: Park Hyatt Hotel, New York City – September 2024 · Items seized: Baby oil, pink ketamine, $9,000 cash · Surveillance video shown: 2016 footage of assault on Cassie Ventura · Criminal charges: Racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force

How we researched this

Last checked: 2026-09-13.

Sources reviewed: local journalism (CNN, NewsNation, People), court evidence photos, news wire reporting (Reuters, Associated Press), federal agency statements, trial testimony.

We did not conduct an on-site investigation, did not access sealed legal filings, and did not interview parties involved. All claims are drawn from on‑the‑record reporting and official court documents.

Snapshot: verified facts about the hotel room evidence

1 Federal property raids
  • Homeland Security Investigations agents searched Combs’ Los Angeles and Miami properties on March 25, 2024 (People).
2 Indictment unsealed
  • Grand jury charged Combs on September 17, 2024 with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, and transportation to engage in prostitution (ABC News).
3 Hotel room search after arrest
  • HSI agent Yasmin Binda testified agents found about $9,000 in cash, substances testing positive for MDMA and ketamine, lubricant, and baby oil (ABC News).
4 2016 hotel surveillance video
  • CNN published footage from the InterContinental Los Angeles showing Combs dragging and kicking Cassie Ventura in a hallway (CNN).
Fact Value
Arrest location and datePark Hyatt Hotel, New York City – September 2024
Items seized from hotel roomBaby oil, pink ketamine, $9,000 cash
Surveillance video shown2016 footage of assault on Cassie Ventura
Criminal chargesRacketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force
Time between arrest and evidence photo release8 months (September 2024 to May 2025)
Distinct news outlets reporting evidence5: CNN, NewsNation, People, Yahoo, Facebook (via official channels)

What is the latest verified information about diddy hotel room evidence?

The most concrete evidence comes from the September 2024 arrest at a Park Hyatt hotel in New York. Homeland Security Investigations agent Yasmin Binda testified in court that a search of Combs’ hotel room yielded approximately $9,000 in cash, substances that later tested positive for MDMA and ketamine, as well as lubricant and baby oil. These details were reported by ABC News from inside the courtroom.

Before the arrest, federal raids on Combs’ Los Angeles and Miami homes on March 25, 2024 turned up additional items. According to NBC News, firearms were found at his residences, and more than a thousand bottles of baby oil were seized, as described in an ABC News explainer of the indictment.

The most publicly visible piece of evidence is the 2016 hotel hallway surveillance video from the InterContinental Century City. CNN obtained and published the clip, which shows Combs, wearing only a towel, chasing, grabbing, and shoving Cassie Ventura to the ground. Prosecutors played the full footage for the jury during the trial, per ABC7 News.

What to watch: The defense has challenged the authenticity of the hotel video, arguing it was altered and that CNN destroyed the original recording. The court has yet to rule on that motion.

Which official sources confirm key claims about diddy hotel room evidence?

Several authoritative outlets and court documents underpin the key claims. The existence of the March 2024 raids and the items seized were confirmed by Homeland Security Investigations in a statement to People and independently reported by Reuters. The unsealed federal indictment was covered by ABC News, NewsNation, and the Associated Press.

Sworn testimony about the hotel room search came directly from HSI agent Yasmin Binda, as reported by ABC News. The 2016 surveillance video was published by CNN, which also documented the defense’s allegations of leaks and motion to exclude the footage from trial.

Additional corroboration came from NewsNation, which built a comprehensive timeline of the case, and from Variety, which reported testimony from a former assistant who described cleaning hotel rooms after sex parties. The New York Daily News covered a subpoena targeting a Miami hotel’s records dating back to 2008.

“There is overwhelming, indisputable proof that the claims against Mr. Combs are lies.”

— Shawn Holley, attorney for Sean Combs, quoted by NewsNation

The pattern: multiple independent news organizations have reported consistent details from court proceedings, agency statements, and firsthand testimony.

What is still unclear or unverified about diddy hotel room evidence?

Despite the volume of reporting, several questions remain unanswered. A full, publicly available inventory of all items seized from the hotel room has not been released; the only detailed account comes from courtroom testimony, which may not capture every piece of evidence.

The chain of custody for the 2016 hotel surveillance video is contested. Combs’ legal team has alleged the footage was edited and that CNN destroyed the original source recording, according to TheWrap. Federal prosecutors have denied any leaks or misconduct, but no independent audit of the video’s handling has been made public.

It is also unclear how the ketamine found in the hotel room originated — whether it was legally prescribed, obtained illegally, or belonged to someone else. The defense has not issued a detailed response to the specific evidence found in the room, and Combs’ lawyers have generally maintained his innocence without addressing each item individually.

The Miami hotel subpoena reported by the New York Daily News remains under seal, so the full scope of records requested — and what they may reveal — is not yet known.

The bottom line: While core facts about the arrest, the items found, and the surveillance video are verified, significant evidentiary details about chain of custody, drug origin, and the complete inventory are still unresolved.

Timeline: key events in the diddy hotel room evidence case

  • March 5, 2016 – Hotel hallway altercation between Combs and Cassie Ventura at the InterContinental Century City, captured on surveillance video.
  • November 2023 – Cassie Ventura files a federal lawsuit alleging sex trafficking and physical abuse, including the hotel incident.
  • March 25, 2024 – HSI agents raid Combs’ properties in Los Angeles and Miami; firearms and “freak-off” supplies seized.
  • August 2024 – Federal subpoena issued to a Miami hotel for records dating back to January 2008 (New York Daily News).
  • September 2024 – Combs arrested at the Park Hyatt, New York; hotel room searched, yielding cash, drugs, and lubricants.
  • September 17, 2024 – Grand jury indictment unsealed charging racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation for prostitution.
  • October 2024 – CNN publishes 2016 hotel surveillance video; defense moves to exclude it, citing alleged alteration.
  • May 2025 – Court evidence photos from the hotel room search are released to the public via multiple news outlets.

Frequently asked questions about diddy hotel room evidence

What was found in Diddy’s hotel room at the Park Hyatt?
Federal agents found approximately $9,000 in cash, substances that tested positive for MDMA and ketamine, lubricant, and baby oil, according to HSI agent Yasmin Binda’s trial testimony reported by ABC News.
When was Diddy arrested and where?
Sean Combs was arrested in September 2024 at the Park Hyatt hotel in New York City by federal agents acting on the unsealed indictment.
What does the 2016 surveillance video show?
The video, obtained and published by CNN, shows Combs grabbing Cassie Ventura by the neck and shoving her to the ground in a hallway of the InterContinental Century City hotel on March 5, 2016.
What are the federal charges against Diddy?
The unsealed indictment charges racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
How did the evidence photos become public?
The photos were entered into evidence during the trial and subsequently obtained by news outlets including CNN, NewsNation, People, and Yahoo, who published them after court proceedings.
What is pink ketamine and why is it significant?
Pink ketamine is a recreational form of the drug often associated with “freak-off” events described in court documents. Its presence in the hotel room is cited by prosecutors as evidence of the alleged drug-facilitated sex trafficking operation.
Has Diddy’s legal team responded to the evidence?
Combs’ attorneys have denied the allegations generally, calling them lies, and have filed motions to exclude the 2016 hotel video from evidence, arguing it was altered. They have not issued a point-by-point response to the specific items found.

Sources cited

For further reading on hotel-related legal cases, see our coverage of the Hyatt Regency Walkway Collapse: Causes, Victims, Aftermath and the G7 Summit 2025 Hotel Kananaskis: Venue & Safety.

The bottom line: For further reading on hotel-related legal cases, see our coverage of the Hyatt Regency Walkway Collapse: Causes, Victims, Aftermath and the G7 Summit 2025 Hotel Kananaskis: Venue & Safety.