At the age of 20, Sánchez was sentenced for stealing from the famous Basílica de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles in Cartago, Costa Rica. Sánchez served 20 years of his 45-year sentence. He maintained his innocence despite brutal torture, and he fought for a declaration of innocence for 48 years.

During college, Ben Starosta had done volunteer work in a small community in Costa Rica. Later, he returns, thinking he can help the people more through other means. He introduces them to guerrilla growing, clandestine outdoor marijuana cultivation, and as the pot's shipped to the United States for top dollar, the community's prospering. However, the C.I.A. soon catches wind and heads down for a look around.