Is “Trap” Based on a True Story? All About the Real-Life Sting Operation That Inspired M. Night Shyamalan

The U.S. Marshal Service and NFL teamed up in 1985 for a unique takedown

M. Night Shyamalan has always been a master of mind-bending thrillers, and his latest film, Trap, takes it to a new level.

The movie stars Josh Hartnett as a suburban dad named Cooper, and follows him as he takes his daughter (Ariel Donoghue) to a concert by pop star Lady Raven (Saleka Shyamalan) — only to discover that the event is a trap set by the FBI to catch a serial killer known as "The Butcher." As it turns out, Cooper is the wanted suspect and must find a way to escape.

Although the plot is intriguing and not entirely unexpected from the mind of Shyamalan, the premise of the ruse is based on Operation Flagship, a real-life sting operation conducted by the U.S. Marshal Service in 1985 — which lured fugitives to their arrests under the guise of winning tickets to a high-profile football game.

Related: M. Night Shyamalan's 3 Daughters: All About Saleka, Ishana and Shivani

Shyamalan was struck by the non-normative route officers took to catch their criminals. “The cops were literally cheerleaders and mascots,” he told Empire magazine in July 2024. “And [the criminals] were all caught. It was so twisted and funny.”

While the Oscar-nominated director took numerous creative liberties — like the concert setting — the essence of the operation influenced much of the film’s foundation.

Here’s what to know about the real-life events that inspired the horror film Trap.

What was Operation Flagship?

Operation Flagship was a covert sting operation conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service in 1985.

The operation involved mailing invitations to over 3,000 known fugitives with outstanding warrants, informing them that they had won free tickets to see the Washington Redskins (now Washington Commanders) play against the Cincinnati Bengals — courtesy of the fictional Flagship International Sports Television network, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.

The invitations held significant weight at the time, Tobias Roche, a former U.S. Marshal involved in the operation, told NFL Films in 2016, as tickets for the winning football team were highly sought after. “In 1985, there was a waiting list for season tickets for over 25 years,” he said.

The details of the plan were hidden in plain sight, as the name signed on the letter informing fugitives was “I. Michael Detnaw,” which was an acronym for: “I’m Wanted.” Also, the contact's last name to claim the tickets was “Cran,” which is “Narc" spelled backward, Roche told NFL Films.

“We had a little fun with it,” he added.

Robert Leschorn, former deputy U.S. Marshal who wrote the operations plan, told The Washington Post in 2015 that it was “kind of like writing a movie.”

To claim the tickets, the fugitives were asked to attend a welcome brunch at the Washington Convention Center, where they could enjoy refreshments and a buffet and enter a raffle for a chance to attend Super Bowl XX.

On Dec. 15, 1985, fugitives who took the bait arrived at the convention center, unaware they were walking into a set up for their arrests. In preparation, the Washington Convention Center was staffed with 166 undercover officers posing as cheerleaders, caterers, ushers, cleaning personnel and representatives of the fake sports network Flagship.

Carrying out the operation required unwavering commitment to the bit and required six weeks of training and three dress rehearsals, per The Washington Post.

“No matter what happens, you stay in your role,” Leschorn, who assumed the role as CEO of the fictitious Flagship network on the day of the brunch, remembered telling his team.

Louie McKinney, chief of enforcement operations for the U.S. Marshals, served as master of ceremonies. He gave the fugitives a faux presentation on the day’s events and made entirely fictional announcements about Flagship’s new sports programming.

When he announced a "big surprise," the Special Operations Group stormed the room with weapons drawn, arresting the fugitives. By the end of the day, 101 fugitives were in custody, and resulted in 144 arrests.

Is "The Butcher" a real person?

In Trap, Hartnett plays Cooper, who is revealed to be "The Butcher," a serial killer wanted by the FBI. While his character is a fictional creation by Shyamalan, the film’s inspiration involved real fugitives in a similar predicament: trapped at an event set up to secure their eventual arrest.

However, unlike the fugitives in real life, Cooper engages in a pseudo-hide-and-seek game with the law enforcement officers on the premises. In contrast, in Operation Flagship, the takedown happened in an environment the cops controlled, and the criminals couldn't run away again.

Where are the Operation Flagship officers now?

McKinney, who was appointed as acting director of the U.S. Marshals Service under President George W. Bush in 2001, now serves as the president of the U.S. Marshals Service Association. In 2015, he told The Washington Post that the Flagship sting was profoundly impactful to his career.

“It was a big highlight of my career because it was very successful and no one got hurt,” he said. “It’s amazing how we dreamed that up.”

McKinney also published a memoir in 2009, One Marshal’s Badge: A Memoir of Fugitive Hunting, Witness Protection, and the U.S. Marshals Service, which provides a detailed account of the operation.

Leschorn retired in 2000 after nearly 30 years in the U.S. Marshal Service. In 2023, he co-authored a book about his life as a deputy U.S. Marshal, In Death’s Shadow, which recounts his experiences in taking down notorious felons throughout his career.

Roche, who served as chief deputy in the U.S. Marshal Service for eight years, retired in 1988. He went on to work as a special agent for the U.S. Department of Treasury, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Department of Justice. He now works as a private investigator in Miami.

Is Trap a true story?

No, Trap is not a true story, but Operation Flagship inspired its plot.

Retired federal agent Roche fact-checked the film for British GQ in August 2024. Among the most obvious differences between the movie and real-life operation is that Shyamalan’s Trap sets the sting at a concert instead of a football game, which Roche said was less probable due to the lack of control over the environment and increased risk of harm.

“Safety was everything,” he told the outlet. “You don’t want anybody hurt — not the police, not the people that you’re arresting. Our number one concern was that everybody go home safe that night.”

Roche also noted that the undisguised and overwhelming police presence at the concert was an unrealistic aspect of the film’s operation, adding that the meticulously planned brunch was intended to distract the criminals from any suspicions of law enforcement or even familiar fugitive faces.

“We were worried that some of them would recognize each other from maybe being incarcerated together or being involved in criminal activities together,” he explained.

While he acknowledged that certain aspects of the film were not applicable to the real-life sting, he praised Shyamalan on the overall execution.

“He did a great job!” he told the outlet. “Law enforcement is full of risks. Trap did a great job of capturing that.”

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