The chaos and intrigue of The Rip isn’t based on a true story, but the cash find is.
On June 29, 2016, Miami cop Chris Casiano and his Tactical Narcotics Team executed a routine search warrant at a quiet Miami Lakes home. What they found was anything but ordinary. Behind a false wall in the attic were 24 orange buckets packed with $100 bills, totaling $24 million.
It was the largest cash seizure in Miami-Dade Police Department history, and, just like in the movie, Officers used sledgehammers to free the money while a cash-sniffing dog confirmed the jackpot.
The Movie Adaptation
Netflix’s The Rip, starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, dramatizes the raid while exploring how millions in cash test loyalty, trust, and morality. While much of the corruption and high-stakes confrontations are fictional, the central act of counting the cash by hand is based on Casiano’s real-life experience.
Who Is Chris Casiano
Chris Casiano, who led the narcotics team, inspired the movie’s main story. His personal life also shaped the film: in 2021, his young son Jake died of leukemia. Director Joe Carnahan adapted the script to reflect this grief, making Damon’s character carry the weight of a father mourning a lost child. The movie is dedicated to Jake, whose name opens the credits.
The Real Investigation
The raid was the result of years of surveillance, wiretaps, and undercover work targeting Luis Hernandez-Gonzalez, who ran a gardening supply store linked to marijuana trafficking from South Florida to Tennessee. Department protocol required officers to count the cash twice on site, leaving Casiano and his team exposed for hours amid millions in plain sight. No money was ever taken. Hernandez-Gonzalez was later sentenced to 65 months in prison for related financial crimes.
From True Story to Thriller
Carnahan first heard Casiano’s story while working on Bad Boys for Life. He adapted it into a story that balances procedural accuracy with cinematic tension. Damon and Affleck brought decades of friendship and on-screen chemistry, while real Miami-Dade officers helped keep performances grounded in reality.
The Heart of The Rip
At its core, The Rip is more than a crime story. It is about trust, grief, and the choices that reveal character when millions of dollars sit in front of you. The real story inspired a thriller, but the emotional core is very real, honoring the courage of Casiano and the memory of his son Jake.
The Rip Cast
- Matt Damon as Lieutenant Dane Dumars
- Ben Affleck as Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne
- Steven Yeun as Detective Mike Ro
- Teyana Taylor as Detective Erica Thompson
- Catalina Sandino Moreno as Detective Carla Reyes
- Sasha Calle as Desi
- Kyle Chandler as DEA Agent Mateo “Matty” Nix
Login
0 Comments