DETROIT (WXYZ) — When stories are stranger than fiction, it’s no surprise Hollywood makes a movie about it! The film, "The Mule," is about a drug cartel who hires an elderly man to transport cocaine.
The local DEA agency helped take down man who the inspired the movie.
Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kent Kleinschmidt said, “It’s inspired by a true story that actually happened here in Metro Detroit.”
Clint Eastwood plays an elderly man who has been hired by a drug cartel to transport cocaine. It’s inspired by the story of Leo Sharp, an nearly 90-year-old farmer who became a mule to one of the most infamous drug cartel’s run by El Chapo.
“Never seen an individual this old, that’s actually transporting this amount of cocaine.”
Agent Kleinschmidt was one of the DEA agents that was there when they caught Sharp transporting cocaine on I-94 near Chelsea in October of 2011.
In total, DEA officials say Sharp brought in about 750 million kilos of cocaine to Detroit, in addition to transporting money and marijuana. Sharp spent about a year in federal prison before dying in 2016.
“Investigation was significant enough that they were going to make a movie about it.”
The local DEA agency was instrumental in breaking up that drug connection between Detroit and Mexico. The agents are excited to see how the story unfolds on the big screen.
Agent Kleinschmidt says he is expecting Hollywood to take some liberties.
“We take it for what it’s worth, it’s entertainment.”
The names in the movie have been changed. Agent Kleinschmidt wants to see if moviegoers will walk away feeling sorry for Clint Eastwood’s character.
“I’m just curious though to see how Leo Sharpe is portrayed,” he explained. “Because we know he wasn’t a victim. He was paid very well for what he was doing and we don’t have any indication based on our investigation that he was forced to do this.”
The movie comes out Friday.
