Real-Life Law Enforcement:
The series was inspired by the South Florida Drug Task Force (established 1982), led by then-Vice President George Bush, which targeted Miami’s drug trafficking. Stories of undercover cops infiltrating cartels, like the Medellín Cartel, informed the characters of Sonny Crockett and Rico Tubbs.
Yerkovich consulted with Edward James Olmos, who later played Lt. Martin Castillo, to ensure authenticity in depicting police tactics and the drug trade’s complexities.