Crime

9:39 AM PT -- Cardi B has deleted her post ... although it's unclear why she decided to scrub it from her account.

Cardi B's proving she's a ride or die for her man -- vehemently defending Stefon Diggs as he faces serious charges ... saying his former personal chef never previously accused the star WR of getting physical.

The support came amid a tense social media exchange on Monday ... when one user pointed out Diggs' charges stemming from allegations made by his ex-employee, who claimed he choked and slapped her over a salary dispute in early December.

Cardi was having none of it ... clapping back and making it clear she won't tolerate any negative talk directed at Diggs -- 'cause she claims she has all the proof she needs to believe the chef is lying through her teeth.

Ousted Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, appeared Monday in a New York court where they pleaded not guilty on all charges of alleged drug trafficking and other serious crimes.

Remember ... Maduro is charged with narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, and other offenses, while Flores faces charges including cocaine importation conspiracy and possession of machine guns.

Ousted Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, will face justice Monday morning for alleged drug trafficking and other serious crimes — as they are transported from an NYC detention facility to a federal courthouse.

FOX News filmed the couple — wearing handcuffs and shackles — being led by heavily-armed federal agents into a helicopter for the short flight from Brooklyn to lower Manhattan, where they will make their first appearances in court after being indicted.

After the helicopter landed at a heliport, Maduro and Flores were escorted to an armored truck, which drove them to the courthouse. Maduro is charged with narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, and other offenses. Flores faces charges including cocaine importation conspiracy and possession of machine guns.

Colombia could be next up on Donald Trump's hit list.

The president floated the idea Sunday while speaking to a group of reporters aboard Air Force One ... after referring to Colombian President Gustavo Petro as a "sick man" who "likes making cocaine."

The commander-in-chief vowed that Petro would not be "doing it very long" -- referring to cocaine production -- prompting a reporter to ask if there would be a U.S. military operation in Colombia. Trump bluntly replied, "It sounds good to me."

Two weeks ago, Trump made an initial threat to Petro, telling him to "watch his ass" and calling him an “illegal drug leader.” Following the arrest of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, Petro said he's not worried about anything happening to him.

All eyes were on Stefon Diggs today, as he took the field for the first time since his personal chef claimed he choked and slapped her over a salary dispute.

While the Patriots already clinched a playoff berth and their division going into Sunday, they still have something to play for. A win against the Dolphins could secure them the number one seed in the AFC, which is still up for grabs.

As we reported ... the bombshell allegations against Stefon were laid out in an incident report which was released last week.

According to the narrative, the female employee first went to police on Dec. 16 and stated she was working as a private chef on Dec. 2 when Diggs entered her unlocked bedroom to discuss an ongoing text exchange between the two over money she believed she was owed.

Lenny Dykstra -- a longtime major leaguer best remembered as a member of the 1986 New York Mets -- may be facing drug charges.

According to a police report obtained by TMZ, Pennsylvania State Police pulled over a car in which Dykstra was a passenger on New Year's Day after they say they saw the driver commit a motor vehicle code violation.

During the traffic stop, officers claim they found Dykstra had "narcotics and narcotic related equipment/paraphernalia." Officers list Dykstra as the "arrestee" on the documents, however his high-powered attorney Matthew Blit says that's not the case.

One half of the Island Boys didn't ring in the New Year on a high note ... 'cause TMZ has learned Franky Venegas was arrested again in Florida for alleged drug-related offenses and is currently behind bars.

Law enforcement tells us Franky was booked into the Collier County Jail in Naples Wednesday night on one count of drug paraphernalia, posing for a fresh mug shot ... face tattoos and all.

We're told Franky has no bond, as he's being held on a 24-hour hold because he's already out on bond from a February arrest for delivering/possessing/selling a firearm with an altered serial number.

We broke the story ... Franky was arrested in February on drug and firearm charges. The drug count was dropped, but the firearm charge stuck, and that's the case he's currently out on bond for.

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel faced the media on Wednesday to address the recent allegations made against Stefon Diggs and Christian Barmore ... saying the team won't jump to any conclusions as the legal process plays out.

Vrabel spoke about his two players' current situations minutes ago ... and when he was asked how "disappointing" it was to deal with those distractions ahead of a matchup with the Miami Dolphins, he said that wasn't the case.

"I would say not disappointing at all," Vrabel said. "I think that these are allegations ... it's things that we have to handle and every day that there's distractions. Some are smaller than others. Confident that we'll focus on the Dolphins and those two individuals that you mentioned will be able to handle the ongoing legal process."

One day after Stefon Diggs was charged for allegedly attacking his personal chef ... the Patriots' star defensive tackle, Christian Barmore, has his own legal matters to deal with -- as he is now facing domestic assault charges.

According to court documents obtained by TMZ Sports, a woman called the Mansfield Police Department on August 25 to report an alleged incident from August 8.

The woman told cops Barmore became angry with her after a disagreement over the temperature of their bedroom air conditioner. Later on, she said they argued over food the athlete claimed belonged to him.

The woman said she decided to leave and went to gather her belongings. She said she called her mother, but claimed Barmore took the phone out of her hand and ended the call. She then alleged Christian threw her to the floor.

Jill Biden's first husband, Bill Stevenson, called cops about a domestic dispute at his Delaware home and was there when authorities pronounced his wife dead ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement in Delaware tells us Bill is the one who picked up the phone and dialed 911 on Sunday night and was waiting at his Oak Hill home when responding officers arrived.

As we reported ... cops found Bill's wife, 64-year-old Linda Stevenson, unresponsive in the living room and tried life-saving measures before pronouncing her dead at the scene. Dispatch audio from the incident mentions "cardiac arrest."

The FBI has released images of numerous motorcycles seized by Mexican authorities in an operation this month -- the bikes are believed to belong to Olympian-turned-alleged drug lord Ryan Wedding.

The FBI's Los Angeles office posted multiple images of the seized motorcycles on X Monday, declaring the bikes have an estimated value of approximately $40 million altogether.

The motorcycles were seized when authorities carried out multiple search warrants. The seizures were the result of a collaboration between the FBI, Mexican authorities, the LAPD and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Wedding is a Canadian citizen and was believed to be living in Mexico.

Last week, Mexico's Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection announced it had seized 62 motorcycles, as well as drugs, artwork, and two Olympic medals from several properties in Mexico City and elsewhere in the State of Mexico.

The items were said to have been "related to a former Olympic athlete who is among the 10 most wanted fugitives by U.S. authorities."

Wedding represented Canada in the Men's Parallel Giant Slalom event at the 2002 Winter Olympics, where he finished in 24th place.

He was convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine in 2009, and he allegedly founded a trafficking enterprise after his release from prison in 2010. Authorities allege Wedding is responsible for shipping hundreds of kilograms of cocaine into the United States and Canada, CBS News reports.

One of the biggest sports video game franchises in the world is seemingly distancing itself from D4vd as the Celeste Rivas death investigation continues ... with the singer's song getting quietly pulled from "Madden NFL 26."

The controversial artist's "What Are You Waiting For" was initially part of the popular football game's soundtrack when it was released back in August ... and was sandwiched between BIA and Alex Warren on the playlist.

Now, it's nowhere to be found.

Singer D4vd will likely face murder charges for the death of Celeste Rivas, and that's because the grand jury that's hearing the case will be asked to hand down an indictment ... sources tell TMZ.

There was a report last month that the grand jury was an "investigative" grand jury ... a grand jury that helps authorities gather evidence but one that does not indict. An investigative grand jury can be useful to subpoena and then force uncooperative witnesses to testify.

Our sources say, however, the grand jury that has been hearing witnesses in the Celeste Rivas murder is actually one that will vote on indictments, and multiple sources tell TMZ that authorities -- including prosecutor Beth Silverman -- believe D4vd was involved in the death of Rivas.

Former A&E personality Tony McCollister -- who was arrested on child and animal abuse charges -- has been court-ordered to stay away from the two dogs he allegedly abused in Ohio ... and, specifically, not to have sex with the animals.

As we reported ... McCollister's canines were taken into custody by the Warren County Sheriff's Office -- and are now being well cared for following the December 23 arrest of the former star of A&E's "Neighbors with Benefits," Sheriff Barry Riley told TMZ.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the judge ordered McCollister to keep at least 500 feet away from not just his pets, but all animals ... and all minor children as well.  The judge notes that McCollister must refrain from "forcing sexual relations" upon his minor children and dogs.

"Southern Hospitality" star Grace Lilly was arrested Monday ... after cops pulled her over and say they found a bottle of "happy pills" in her purse late Sunday night.

According to a police report, obtained by TMZ, Grace was driving through Charleston, South Carolina, in her Mercedes C-Class sedan with a man in her car. Officers say they initiated a traffic stop when Grace failed to use her turn signal to change lanes.

Cops say there was already a warrant out for her arrest in the system, so officers ordered her to step out of the vehicle and they detained her in handcuffs.

While detained, Grace allegedly asked if she could bring her purse with her to the detention center ... and cops say they found a container of pills inside the bag labeled "Happy Pills."

Diddy’s children are ready to tell their side of the story after the fallout from their father’s criminal case ... and they’re doing it in a new docuseries.

Two of Diddy’s sons, Christian and Justin, announced in a new promo Sunday they’re partnering with Zeus Network on the project, which is set to drop in 2026.

The trailer opens with Justin turning on a television as the brothers sit side by side, watching footage from Diddy’s sex trafficking trial and reliving moments where reporters swarm them outside the courthouse.

Christian and Justin stare blankly as headlines about Diddy’s case, lawsuits, and alleged parties flash across the screen.

At one point, a young girl is heard saying, “Your daddy got four years” -- seemingly heckling the brothers following Diddy’s sentencing to four years and two months in prison on prostitution-related charges.

Justin is seen placing his hand on Christian’s shoulder as they watch old footage of the Combs family entering and exiting the New York courthouse, along with video of federal agents outside their homes during the March 2024 raids.