Inside the Real-Life Undercover Unit

American fugitives on the run in Mexico? That’s the high-stakes drama behind The Gringo Hunters.

Netflix’s new Spanish-language crime drama premiered on July 9 and follows a covert Mexican police unit tasked with tracking down U.S. fugitives hiding in their country. Set in Tijuana and inspired by real events, the series blends procedural grit, suspense and political intrigue.

Starring Hector Kotsifakis, Harold Torres, Mayra Hermosillo and Manuel Masalva, the series was based on reporting by The Washington Post journalist Kevin Sieff, who embedded with the real-life unit and documented one of their most high-profile arrests. 

So, how true is the story and who are the officers behind the fictional Gringo Hunters? Here’s everything to know about the unit that inspired The Gringo Hunters.

Who are the real-life Gringo Hunters?

Known officially as the International Liaison Unit of the Baja California State Police, this specialized team operates out of Tijuana and deported more than 1,600 fugitives between its founding in 2002 and Sieff’s 2022 article.

Most of their targets are Americans wanted for serious crimes like murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking or sexual offenses. The unit’s nickname, “Gringo Hunters,” was coined informally by locals.

And while the officers don’t officially embrace it, the name reflects their mission: tracking down foreign fugitives who believe crossing into Mexico puts them beyond the reach of justice.

Why did the Gringo Hunters become famous?

Until 2022, few outside law enforcement circles knew the unit existed. That changed when Washington Post journalist Sieff embedded with the team to document the arrest of Damion Salinas, a 21-year-old American murder suspect.

Officers located Salinas in the coastal city of Ensenada, where he had quietly settled among locals, according to The Washington Post report. After several days of low-profile surveillance, they intercepted Salinas while he was walking along the roadside.

Rather than pursuing formal extradition, they used immigration violations to send him back to the U.S. within hours. Sieff’s embedded reporting revealed the unit’s quiet efficiency and legal savvy, ultimately sparking the concept behind Netflix’s The Gringo Hunters.

What do the Gringo Hunters do?

The show opens with a covert team — Harold Torres as Nico, the unit’s stoic and strategic leader; Mayra Hermosillo as Gloria, a seasoned agent with sharp instincts; Manuel Masalva as Beto, the impulsive but loyal operative; and Andrew Leland Rogers as Archi, an American liaison caught between two systems — dressed in plain clothes and quietly surveilling a marina.

Their target: a U.S. fugitive linked to multiple murders. As he boards a boat, the team moves in for a swift arrest.

This scene sets the tone for how the unit operates in real life. They work in plain clothes, drive unmarked vehicles and rely heavily on not just their skills, but also intelligence from U.S. agencies like the FBI, Homeland Security and the U.S. Marshals.

Instead of going through lengthy extradition procedures, they use immigration violations to deport suspects quickly, often within hours. Officers are also trained to spot foreigners trying to blend in, watching for things like flip-flops, tattoos and limited Spanish skills.

Is The Gringo Hunters plot based on a true story?

The Gringo Hunters is inspired by real-life operations carried out by the International Liaison Unit but it doesn’t dramatize specific cases verbatim. Instead, the show reflects the tone and tactics of actual missions, like the arrest of Terry Sakamoto, a fugitive with prior convictions for robbery, assault and making criminal threats, per ABC News.

In 2022, Sakamoto fled to Mexico for the second time. The unit tracked him to a home in Mexicali, staking out the location for a week. Officers wore bulletproof vests and used multiple patrol cars to prepare for a potentially violent arrest. When they finally moved in, Sakamoto gave a fake name and ID but didn’t resist. He was deported within hours. 

The ABC News team also documented the unit’s broader mission: catching roughly 10 fugitives a month, most of them Americans wanted for crimes like homicide, kidnapping and sexual assault. Their work is fast, discreet and often dangerous. One officer told reporters, “You leave your house every day and you don’t know what could happen to you.”

What stereotypes do The Gringo Hunters challenge?

The Gringo Hunters flips a long-standing narrative on it’s head: instead of portraying Mexico as a lawless escape for criminals, the series shows a country with its own powerful justice system and a police unit that actively hunts down fugitives from the U.S.

Producer Stacy Perskie told newspaper El País, “Mexico has long been portrayed as a lawless land, a place where you can go and hide without consequences—and it’s very interesting to show the opposite.” 

The series also shines a light on Tijuana, showing it as more than just a gritty border city. It’s portrayed as a proud, important part of Mexico where justice begins, not ends.

A phrase often linked to the city, “Aquí empieza la patria” (“Here begins the homeland”), reflects its role as a strong gateway between countries and a key place in the fight against crime.