Two Miami police sergeants, who played pivotal roles in a groundbreaking $22 million drug bust, have initiated a federal lawsuit against the 2026 film “The Rip.” They allege that the movie, featuring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, inaccurately depicts them as corrupt officers, distorting the facts of their real-life case.
The lawsuit is directed at Artists Equity, the production company established by Damon and Affleck, along with Falco Pictures, which also contributed to the film’s creation. Notably, Netflix, the platform that distributed the movie, is not included in the legal action.
“The Rip” was marketed as a film “inspired by true events,” drawing from the Miami-Dade narcotics unit’s discovery of $21.9 million concealed behind a wall in orange buckets. However, the lawsuit argues that the storyline centered around their alleged criminal activities is entirely fictional.
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon assume the roles of Miami narcotics detectives in “The Rip,” a movie partly based on the historic seizure of $22 million, which was believed to be linked to marijuana trafficking. (Claire Folger/Netflix © 2024)
According to the lawsuit, the actual investigation led to the seizure at the residence of a gardening supply store owner, suspected of involvement in a marijuana smuggling operation back in 2016. This incident marked the largest cash confiscation in the history of the Miami-Dade Police Department, now known as the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
The film portrays members of the narcotics unit as being under scrutiny for purportedly misappropriating some of the seized money for personal gain. Additionally, it introduces a fictional DEA agent embroiled in the murder of a Miami police lieutenant, who is later killed by Affleck’s character without any legal proceedings.
Read the complaint:
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon on set as Miami narcotics investigators in “The Rip,” a 2026 movie partly inspired by the historic seizure of $22 million in alleged marijuana proceeds. (Claire Folger/Netflix © 2024)
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.
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.
Matt Damon attends Netflix’s “The Rip” New York premiere at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, on Jan. 13, 2026, in New York City.
“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.
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, they had asked for a public retraction and correction and either a prominent disclaimer attached to the film or an end to its distribution.
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon attend the premiere of “The Rip” at Alice Tully Hall in New York City on Jan. 13, 2026. (Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)
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.
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