Juan Espinosa, ‘Carlitos el Productor,’ Arrested: I-95 DUI Charges

Juan Espinosa, the Univision personality known as “Carlitos el Productor” on El Gordo y la Flaca, was arrested in Brevard County, Florida, early on May 18, 2025, after a sheriff’s deputy clocked him at 118 mph on Interstate 95 with his wife and two young children in the car. He was charged with driving under the influence and child neglect without great bodily harm, booked into the Brevard County jail, and released on $6,500 bond.¹

What Happened on I-95

Around 2:20 a.m. on Sunday, May 18, 2025, a Brevard County Sheriff’s Office deputy spotted a Chevrolet Equinox heading north on I-95 near Rockledge at roughly 118 mph in a 70 mph zone.² After the stop, the deputy reported smelling alcohol and observing signs of impairment, including nystagmus.³

Espinosa’s wife was in the front passenger seat. Their two children, ages one and eight, were asleep in the back.¹ Espinosa declined field sobriety exercises and refused to provide a breath sample, so no blood-alcohol concentration was recorded at the scene.³

The Charges

Espinosa, 41 and a Miami resident, was charged with DUI and child neglect without great bodily harm.¹ The Miami Herald reported two child neglect counts, one for each child, along with driving while intoxicated.² After booking at the Brevard County jail, he was released on $6,500 bond.

What He Is Facing Under Florida Law

Under Florida Statute 827.03, child neglect that does not cause great bodily harm, permanent disability, or permanent disfigurement is a third-degree felony.⁴ That classification applies to each of the counts filed against him.

The breath-test refusal carries separate administrative consequences. Under Florida law, a driver who refuses a breath, urine, or blood test must serve a mandatory 90-day period without a license before becoming eligible for a hardship reinstatement, and must show enrollment in a DUI school to apply. A second or later refusal eliminates hardship reinstatement entirely.⁵ The administrative review runs separately from any criminal DUI trial, and neither proceeding directly decides the other.

What the Show Said

On the Tuesday broadcast of May 20, 2025, co-hosts Lili Estefan and Raúl de Molina addressed the arrest on air. Estefan acknowledged that Brevard County authorities had arrested “Carlitos el Productor” the previous Sunday for excessive speed and suspicion of drinking. De Molina said Espinosa would make his own statement “when the time was right” and that neither host would comment further.⁶ Hola! reported that Espinosa was at the studio during that Tuesday broadcast but did not speak publicly about the incident.⁷

Who Juan Espinosa Is

Espinosa, 41, has achondroplasia, a bone growth disorder that affects stature. He got his start on Sábado Gigante playing “El Chacalito,” then moved to El Gordo y la Flaca after producer Carlos Medina recruited him; the on-air name “Carlitos el Productor” grew out of a prank call in which Espinosa impersonated Medina. He has been a fixture on the Univision program for more than 20 years. He is married to Silvia Díaz; the couple’s two children, Sebastián and Aliyah, were the children in the vehicle at the time of the arrest.⁸

1
NBC Miami. El Productor of El Gordo y la Flaca Arrested for DUI After Driving 118 MPH
2
Miami Herald. Carlitos el Productor Arrested Near Rockledge
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CBS News Miami. El Productor of El Gordo y la Flaca Clocked at 118 MPH With Wife, Sleeping Children Inside Vehicle
4
Florida Legislature. Section 827.03, Florida Statutes
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Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Florida DUI Administrative Suspension Laws
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People en Español. Esto Dijeron Lili Estefan y Raúl de Molina Sobre el Arresto de Carlitos el Productor
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Hola! US. Lili Estefan, Raúl de Molina Address Carlitos Producer Arrest
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Hola! US. Carlitos el Productor, El Gordo y la Flaca Historia