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The brother of Pablo Escobar is embroiled in a tense legal battle with the producers of Netflix’s hit drama Narcos, which depicts the life of the late Colombian drug kingpin. According to new reports,  Roberto De Jesus Escobar Gaviria is demanding $1 billion for intellectual property violations along with a grim warning of “closing their little show” as well.

THR exclusively reports:

Speaking Monday to The Hollywood Reporter, Escobar’s 71-year-old surviving brother, Roberto De Jesus Escobar Gaviria, suggested the show’s producers are not cut out for filming in such cartel-infested locales as Mexico and Colombia, adding that they would benefit from the hiring of “hitmen … as security.”

Gaviria also threatened to “close their little show” if the streaming giant failed to provide a $1 billion payment to his company, Escobar Inc., for intellectual property violations.

“Netflix are scared,” he said. “They sent us a long letter to threaten us.”

The outlet is in possession of a July 27 letter from the company that created Narcos and a video game spin-off that it was not aware Gavairia filed registered trademarks for the names NARCOS and CARTELS WARS without knowledge or consent. Narcos Productions, LLC (NPL), the show and game’s founding company, is not intending to budge.

With the shooting death of a scout for the show on Sept. 11 and Gaviria’s company, Escobar, Inc., claiming that NPL is entertaining discussions, this issue stands to develop over time.

Narcos is currently in its third season.

Photo: screen cap/Netflix