NEW YORK — Authorities carried out a thorough “interagency operation” this week, targeting the notorious Brooklyn federal jail where Sean “Diddy” Combs is being incarcerated. The Bureau of Prisons reported on Friday that officers confiscated a variety of contraband items, including illegal drugs, makeshift weapons, and electronic devices during this initiative.
The coordinated operation commenced on Monday at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) and remained active for the duration of the week. It included participation from the Bureau of Prisons, the Justice Department’s Inspector General, and numerous state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies. The operation was characterized as carefully planned to maintain the safety of both staff and inmates, forming part of a broader initiative to enhance facility security and not addressing any immediate threats or intelligence reports.
Significantly, the crackdown was not specifically related to Combs’ incarceration, although his case has drawn considerable public attention to the jail’s troubled reputation. Currently, no criminal charges have been connected to this operation.
Combs’ legal team has repeatedly highlighted alarming issues at the MDC — such as unsafe living conditions, frequent violence, and several inmate deaths — as they strive to secure his release on bail ahead of his trial in May regarding sex trafficking accusations. The scrutiny surrounding Combs’ detention, alongside a surge of violent incidents associated with the jail, has intensified attention on MDC Brooklyn, prompting officials from the Justice Department and Bureau of Prisons to seek accountability and rectify ongoing issues there.
In a series of developments in September, federal prosecutors filed charges against nine inmates for a string of violent assaults that occurred between April and August at the MDC, which currently serves as the only federal jail in New York City. These allegations painted a concerning picture of safety at the facility, particularly following incidents where two inmates were fatally stabbed and another suffered serious injury from a makeshift weapon. Additionally, a correctional officer faced charges for firing at a vehicle during an unauthorized chase.
Further illustrating the environment within the jail, an inmate was also charged in connection with a murder-for-hire scheme that resulted in the death of a 28-year-old woman outside a New York nightclub last December. Prosecutors detailed that this inmate orchestrated the deadly plot using a contraband cellphone while awaiting sentencing for a prior incident involving a shooting.
These criminal cases have shed light on the ongoing issues of violence and mismanagement at the facility, which houses about 1,200 inmates, including Combs and Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of the now-defunct FTX cryptocurrency exchange. This number reflects a decrease from over 1,600 in January of this year.
The MDC, located in an industrial sector along the Brooklyn waterfront, primarily caters to individuals awaiting trial in federal courts in Manhattan or Brooklyn. Some detainees serve brief sentences after convictions.
Inmates at the Brooklyn facility have long voiced grievances about rampant violence, squalid conditions, severe staff shortages, and the prevalent smuggling of drugs and other contraband — oftentimes with the involvement of jail personnel. Meanwhile, many state they have endured prolonged lockdowns, restricting their access to visits, phone calls, hygiene, or exercise.
Combs has been denied bail on two occasions but is appealing to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for his release. A hearing is set for November 4. His attorney, Mark Agnifilo, who previously requested a transfer to a New Jersey jail, affirmed at a hearing on October 10: “We’re making the best of the MDC. The MDC has been very responsive for us.” Another attorney for Combs, Anthony Ricco, reassured the media outside the courthouse: “He’s doing fine. It’s a difficult circumstance. He’s making the best of the situation.” However, Ricco did emphasize, “Nobody’s OK with staying in jail for now.”