Two Miami police sergeants behind a historic $22 million drug bust have filed a federal lawsuit over the 2026 movie “The Rip,” saying the Matt Damon and Ben Affleck film falsely portrays them as corrupt cops based on their real case.
The lawsuit names Artists Equity, a production company founded by the two stars, as well as Falco Pictures, which was also involved in producing the movie. Netflix, which distributed the movie, is not named in the lawsuit.
“The Rip” was advertised as “inspired by true events,” including how the Miami-Dade narcotics unit found $21.9 million hidden behind a false wall in orange buckets. However, according to the lawsuit, the core plot about their criminal misconduct is fabricated.
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In real life, investigators made the seizure at the home of a gardening supply store owner suspected of taking part in a marijuana trafficking ring in 2016, according to the lawsuit. It was the largest cash seizure in the history of the Miami-Dade Police Department, now the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
In the movie, members of the narcotics unit face suspicion for allegedly stealing some of the money under false pretenses and for their own benefit. It also depicts a fictional DEA agent implicated in the murder of a Miami police lieutenant, who himself is killed by Affleck’s character later, without due process.
Read the complaint:
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While the film had a fictionalized twist, the lawsuit contends that it included enough real-world facts to damage the reputations of Jason Smith and Jonathan Santana, including location settings, details about the false wall, the cash being found in orange buckets, and a loaded Tech 9 firearm stashed with the cash.
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Smith was the sergeant supervising the real investigation. Santana was the lead detective and has since been promoted to sergeant as well. Their names are not used in the movie, but the lawsuit alleges they were the basis for the characters Damon and Affleck play on screen.
According to the lawsuit, after the movie trailer’s release, a county prosecutor contacted one of them asking, “whether any allegations of theft had ever been made in connection with the case, and further stated that his office would be looking into it.”
They allege they have also faced questions about “how many buckets they kept,” whether they used stolen money to pay for home improvements, and the lieutenant’s murder.
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“I can’t believe you killed another cop,” a county prosecutor allegedly told one of the plaintiffs after the movie came out, according to the lawsuit.
On top of that, the film allegedly credited a department member who had no connection to the investigation and was paid for his consulting.
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Smith and Santana are seeking damages exceeding $75,000 for allegations of defamation and emotional distress. The lawsuit also accuses Hollywood as a whole of negatively depicting police on screen, noting that police departments around the country are struggling with hiring and officer retention.
Damon and Affleck themselves have publicly said police are “underappreciated” and “underfunded” in an interview with Howard Stern promoting the movie.
Prior to the lawsuit, Smith and Santana had asked for a public retraction and correction and either a prominent disclaimer attached to the film or an end to its distribution.
The film’s producers countered that it was a fictionalized movie that carried a disclaimer already and that the characters are not real people.
Lawyers for Smith and Santana have until tomorrow to file an amended complaint to satisfy the judge’s jurisdiction concerns, according to court documents. If they fail to meet the deadline, the case would be dismissed.
