Rickles is a middleman working with the Bolivian drug dealer Mendez, coordinating his deals and arranging pickup/delivery/payment. In 1986 Rickles was working out a deal with James "Sonny" Crockett and Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs for 50 kilos of cocaine and a meet was set for the Miami Museum when a security guard happened on the scene, Crockett took him along at gunpoint, which spooked Mendez, and he and Rickles fled, but not before the guard was killed and Mendez' lizard-skin briefcase was dropped at the scene. Rickles was arranging for its' return with Crockett but the retired Texas Ranger Jake Pierson took the case and demanded a finder's fee for its' return. Rickles refused to work with either Pierson's request or Crockett's demand to deal, but finally a meet was arranged between Rickles and