Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: #BecauseMiami – We've Got the Meats!
Date: January 30, 2026
Location: The Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami
Main Hosts: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Roy, Mike Ryan
Featured Guests: Naomi Feinstein (Miami New Times), Raquel Pacheco (former FL State Senate candidate)

Episode Overview

This #BecauseMiami episode dives into two explosive Miami stories that blend local politics, policing, and a healthy serving of municipal absurdity:

1. First Amendment Incident: The Miami Beach Police’s questionable investigation of Army veteran Raquel Pacheco for a sharply-worded Facebook comment targeting the city mayor, raising urgent questions about free speech and misuse of police power.

2. The ‘MeatGate’ Scandal: A hilarious yet troubling tour through the embarrassing and possibly corrupt practices trailing Miami's ex-Mayor Francis Suarez—including Rolex watch gifts to police, officers under investigation for accepting luxury meat gifts, and nearly $750,000 in discretionary city spending on pork and turkey from a single politically connected steakhouse.

The hosts, with their trademark irreverence and sharp local analysis, expose hypocrisy, absurdity, and the old Miami adage: corruption isn’t just alive—it’s thriving and ridiculous.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. First Amendment Rights Under Threat in Miami Beach

• Background:
  • On January 12, Army National Guard veteran and former candidate Raquel Pacheco is visited at home by plainclothes Miami Beach detectives. The visit stems from a complaint by current Mayor Steven Miner regarding a Facebook comment Pacheco left under one of his posts.
  • The show plays/examines Pacheco’s viral cell phone video of the police interaction.
  • The incident quickly raises red flags for misuse of police resources to police speech—catalyzing bipartisan outrage.

• Police and City Response:
  • Miami Beach PD issues a statement emphasizing concerns over "potentially inflammatory" and "anti-Semitic" rhetoric, justifying their visit as cautionary due to recent violence.
  • The department demands exorbitant fees (over $1,500) for simple public records requests about how the department learned of Pacheco’s post.

• Host’s Critique:

  • "[The] police put out a statement...on Monday, the Miami Beach Police Department was made aware of a social media post...We wanted to know how they were made aware...they want over $1,500 for the records. This is ludicrous." — Host, (06:44)
  • "Stop releasing statements and release the public records already. They gotta come out irregardless." — Host, (09:40)

• Bipartisan Backlash:

  • Even right-wing gubernatorial candidates voice support for Pacheco's freedom of speech.
    • Paul Renner: “This is a fundamental right of all Americans, free speech...when I’m governor of the free state of Florida, you will have that right.” (12:18)
    • James Fishback: “You’re allowed to criticize Israel Netanyahu. You’re allowed to call him a war crim. We’re allowed to do whatever we want in this country. It’s called the First Amendment.” (13:52)

• Pacheco’s Experience and Response:

  • “It felt like the First Amendment, as I know it, died at my door that day.” — Raquel Pacheco, (15:02)
  • “What stands out is that this is the one issue that Americans can all rally behind despite party affiliation.” (16:14)

• Pointed Political Criticism:

  • The total silence from local elected officials (especially Democrats) is lambasted.
  • “I never got into politics or activism to make friends...the silence from the Democratic side is really quite deafening here.” — Raquel Pacheco, (18:32 – 19:34)
  • “Democrats never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. It certainly disappoints me...” — Host, (19:34)

2. The Rolex, Gift, and ‘MeatGate’ Corruption Sagas

• Watchgate:
  • Now ex-Mayor Francis Suarez gifted four police sergeants-at-arms luxury Rolex watches—a practice potentially violating department rules. • Internal Affairs (IA) investigates; costly watches possibly used to curry favor.

• Giftgate:
  • The IA Major himself, Windsor Lozano (whose police family has a notorious history), is caught on camera accepting luxury meat gifts from the politically connected El Toro Loco Steakhouse while in uniform—while he’s supposed to be investigating others for similar gift issues! • “So now this has been kicked over to Coral Gables, who are investigating the head of IA for possibly accepting a gift in violation of policy while he investigates other Miami police officers for possibly accepting gifts in violation of policy.” — Host, (40:49)

• MeatGate:
  • Reporter Naomi Feinstein details how nearly $750,000 in discretionary city funds have been sent, without oversight or bidding, to El Toro Loco Meat Distribution for city turkey and pork giveaways championed by District 3’s Joe Carollo and District 1’s Miguel Gabela. • “$200,000 for whole turkeys... $111,000 for prime pulled pork shoulder...it’s pork shoulder, turkey, pork shoulder...” (43:06–43:32) • Funds are used for holiday meat distribution events and—allegedly—political patronage.
  • Serious questions raised about oversight, potential kickbacks (“Can we follow the money any further here, Naomi?”), and the optics of such unchecked spending.

• Memorable Moment:

  • “Three quarters of a million dollars in pork butt…” — Host, (43:32)
  • “If we sold pork butt or whatever, we'd apparently be making three quarters of a million. I want either less corruption or more of an opportunity to participate in it!” — Host, (46:02)

3. Broader Themes and Show Tone

• Irreverent & Unapologetic:
  • Hosts don’t hold back on ridiculing city dysfunction, highlighting local absurdities with a mixture of righteous frustration and classic Miami sarcasm. • Frequent references to the uniquely, sometimes hilariously, corrupt local political scene. • Several side jokes (“pork shoulder… or pork asshole, or whatever”…“I’m going to go to the food truck… and apply for a job at El Toro Loco”) drive home the sense of Miami as a theater of the absurd.

• Notable Quote:

  • “[On Miami government] If you close your eyes, you can see how many we give on this program.” — Host, (21:07)
  • “I had a Republican lawmaker on this program who's introducing a bill this legislative session to make chapter 119 stronger because he now experienced for himself how this statute is abused…” — Host, (21:10)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “It felt like the First Amendment, as I know it, died at my door that day.”
  — Raquel Pacheco (15:02)

• “This is a fundamental right of all Americans, free speech...when I'm governor of the free state of Florida, you will have that right.” — Paul Renner (12:18)

• “You're allowed to criticize Israel Netanyahu. You're allowed to call him a war crim. We're allowed to do whatever we want in this country. It's called the First Amendment.” — James Fishback (13:52)

• “Democrats never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.” — Host (19:34)

• “Three quarters of a million dollars in pork butt…” — Host (43:32)

• “I want either less corruption or more of an opportunity to participate in it!” — Host (46:02)

Important Segment Timestamps

• [00:34–04:28] – Raquel Pacheco police encounter & local government context
• [06:44–11:24] – Public records stonewalling & police statements
• [12:18–14:26] – Bipartisan gubernatorial reactions
• [15:02–22:54] – Pacheco interview: emotional impact, lack of Democratic support, legal next steps
• [29:25–34:19] – Rolex/Watchgate scandal explained, internal police investigation
• [37:16–41:43] – Giftgate: IA Major filmed accepting luxury meat gifts
• [41:43–47:53] – MeatGate & city’s wild discretionary spending on meat; ties to political patronage

Concluding Thoughts

This episode is both a scathing and hilarious indictment of Miami’s political failings and corruption. With first-person stories, firsthand interviews, and sharp commentary, it goes far beyond sports radio—illustrating why #BecauseMiami isn’t just a hashtag, but a way of life for those who live, survive, and laugh amid the city’s dysfunction.

For listeners new to the show, this episode is an enlightening (and entertaining) crash course in South Florida’s chaotic stew of politics, policing, and pork.