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By Griff Griffin
Contributing Pop Culture Writer
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Netflix crime thriller “The Rip” is loosely based on a real story.
The movie, currently the number one most-watched film in the streamer’s global charts, reportedly takes inspiration from a 2016 Miami-Dade narcotics raid, according to Police1.
Like in “The Rip,” which was released January 16th, 2026, police discovered roughly $22 million in cash hidden in Home Depot buckets inside a secret attic compartment. It was the largest cash seizure in the department’s history at the time, according to Miami Herald archives.
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The real case is as follows: in June 2016, narcotics detectives raided the home of Luis Hernandez-Gonzalez, a small business owner heavily involved in an illegal marijuana grow ring.
“He hid money so that the government would not see the profits he was making selling to marijuana growers and traffickers,” writes Police1.
In the end, Hernandez-Gonzalez was sentenced on April 25th, 2018 to 65 months in prison and agreed to forfeit over $18 million as a result of the raid. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Is ‘The Rip’ Based on a True Story?
Yes, “The Rip” is based on the true story of a 2016 Miami-Dade narcotics raid.
Matt Damon’s Lt. Dane Dumars was based on real Miami-Dade cop, Chris Casiano, who supervised the Tactical Narcotics Team.
“All that stuff about counting [the money] on the seizure, on scene, is all true,” Carnahan told Decider. “You’re required to count it twice, actually, by hand.” Apparently, it took investigators 42 hours to count the real-life total.
How Accurate is ‘The Rip’?
“The Rip” is not entirely accurate. While rooted in reality, several details were heavily fictionalized for the film. This includes the suspects, location, and cartel ties.
For example, the stash house in the film is located in Hialeah, but the actual raid took place at in Miami Lakes, which is a 20-minute drive away.
Also, drug cartels were reportedly not involved in the real-life case, but in the film it’s alleged these cartels bought up the entire neighborhood to keep away neighbors from the hidden cash.
There were also no shootouts, unlike in the film, which features several action sequences.
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