Borderline (1980) - full transcript
Jeb Maynard is a patrolman guarding the U.S.-Mexican border, whose partner and buddy Scooter has just been murdered. Maynard knows that a smuggler of illegal aliens is responsible for Scooter's death, but the feds insist that drug dealers committed the crime. If this villainous smuggler is going to be caught, Maynard is going to have to do the dirty work himself.
[anxious violin music]
[anxious violin music]
- [Border Guide] Andale, Andale!
[speaking Spanish]
Andale!
Andale!
- [Border Guard] You, follow me.
- Hey Ski, where'd you
put down they came in?
- E-six, what time did you put?
- Four p.m. sound right?
- Yeah, it's good enough
for government work.
- Vamanos.
- [Border Guard] Yes ma'am,
yes ma'am.
- Join the party Jeb,
grab a Guatemalan
or maybe you'd rather
have an El Salvadorian.
There's plenty to go around.
- You catch 'em, you clean 'em.
Willie, what do you got?
- Two groups, the guides
split with their money
and left these poor
bastards rambling around
in the brush for two
days with no food.
- [Jeb] You think they're part
of that Sand Canyon bunch?
- [Willie] No way Jeb,
they're too sloppy.
[speaking Spanish]
- [Border Guard] Occupation?
- Hey pal, where can I
find the senior officer?
- That's me, who are you?
- Fante sir, Jimmy Fante.
I've been sent out here
on detail from New York.
- Oh hey, you're a day late.
- I kept gettin' lost.
- Ah well, where are the others?
- Others, sir?
- They didn't send
anybody else with you?
- Not as far as I know, sir.
- Oh Jesus.
I asked for a dozen extra
hands and they send one.
I guess they feel one
grunt from New York
is worth 12 men, that
right Fonte?
- I kinda doubt that, sir.
- No more sir, just
call me Jeb okay?
- Right, Jeb.
- Let me see now.
Hey, where are you taking him?
- Holding pen, this
one's a pujero.
- [Border Guide] Lemme
get your name.
- What's a pujero?
- He's a guide.
Son of a bitch, preys on
these other poor people.
Hey Willie,
Willie.
This is Jimmy Fante?
- Fante.
- Willie, show him around,
fill him in.
- Come on, this way.
My name's Willie Lambert.
Gimme that, put it over here.
All right now then, you
look at this map.
You see this here is our sector.
That's about 1200 square
miles, maybe 1,000 canyons.
Now 10 years ago we
were lucky if we
caught 100 aliens a
month but right now
we're in the middle of a
damned invasion.
They're running right over us.
Last summer this little
pulled in over 3,000 a month
and for every one we caught,
three of 'em slipped past us.
[speaking Spanish]
How's your Spanish?
- Impeccable.
- Impeccable, we could use a
lot of impeccable around here.
- Wait, maybe impeccable
was too strong a word.
- Whatever it is, you
just sit down here
next to Mr. Monroe and
practice your Spanish.
Charlie Monroe, this
is Jimmy Fante.
Okay, let me find you
somebody here, let's see.
You sir.
Por favor.
- Como se llama?
- Miguel Fernando Jesus Gomez.
[speaking Spanish]
- Momento.
Como se llama?
- Miguel Fernando Jesus Gomez.
- This funny?
[laughs]
- Go ahead.
- [Border Guide] Rodriguez,
Roberto.
Gonzales, Ernesto.
Arsante, Victor.
Gonzales, Jose.
[speaking Spanish]
- I hope it doesn't rain.
- It might rain.
- What's the matter with you?
Your ass is really dragging,
you look down Scooter.
- Oh, just a little tired of it.
Chase these Mexicans all
over these goddamn hills,
you catch 'em one day and
they're back the next.
There's this young kid in there,
I've caught him four
times this month myself.
- Just look at it this way,
if they didn't keep running,
you'd be out of a job.
What's happening, kid?
- I don't know.
Is it always like this?
I just processed an old man
who sold his tailor shop
and gave up his life
savings to come here.
Now he's got nothing,
his whole life
went down the drain and
I watched it.
- [Willie] You're gonna
hear a lot of sad stories,
so don't let it get to you.
What's coming down, Chief?
- We're supposed to
assist Chula tonight,
work old La Mesa.
- With all the men they got up
there, they want assistance?
There ain't but four
of us on duty
tonight to cover this
whole sector.
- I know but the orders
just came down, there's
a bunch comin' through and we
have to give 'em some help.
Me, Willie and the kid,
we'll take La Mesa.
You can work sensor traffic.
If you get a chance,
drop down around Tecate.
Have a look around down there,
will you?
- Sleep tight, America.
Your tax dollars are
hard at work.
[anxious trumpet music]
[speaking Spanish]
- I'll give you a little
field training.
You know what a sensor is?
- No.
- Well I'll show you.
[anxious trumpet, violin music]
This is a seismic sensor,
you step on it,
anywhere near it, it
sends a signal to La Migra
telling them exactly
where you are.
By the time you hit the road,
they're waiting for you
with a Greyhound bus
to take you back home.
- How'd you know that was there?
- One of my guides got busted
coming through here last week.
You see how those
trails criss-cross?
That's where I'd plant it
if I was them.
- You're pretty smart
for a white guy.
- Uncle Sam spent a lot of bread
in 'Nam teaching me how to be.
Okay, we split up here.
You take your group
up that trail,
horse trail then we'll
meet you on the road.
[speaking Spanish]
[helicopter whirring]
[yelling in Spanish]
- [Border Pilot] I spotted 'em,
they're taking off down
towards that sandbar.
- [Willie] Push 'em down
towards the sandbar, drive 'em!
- [Border Pilot] I got
some in the bushes for you.
Andale hombres, okay boys,
party's over.
[yelling in Spanish]
- Andale!
[speaking Spanish]
Pronto!
You been waiting long?
- No I just got here, wait.
Why don't you ride up in
front with me?
It smells like a cattle
truck back here.
- Gringo, with you at
this time of night,
that'd be like waiting
a red flat at La Migra.
Son.
- No, [speaking Spanish] no.
- You speak English, you
understand me?
- Yes sir, yes.
- Good boy.
He's your son, ever had
a son before Mirandez?
- [Mirandez] For all I know,
I am father to 30 little
bastards in Tijuana.
[speaking Spanish]
- Vito, Vito Morales senor.
Mexico.
Si senor, [speaking Spanish].
[anxious violin music]
[humming country music]
- Tomates.
I wonder if he's hauling
anything besides tomates?
I think his tomatoes are wet.
[anxious ensemble music]
[sirens blaring]
63B.
Buenas Noches, senor.
- Good evening.
What's the problem officer,
are my taillights out?
- No.
It's just a routine check.
What are you fellas doin'
up this time of night?
- We have to deliver these
tomatoes all the way up to L.A.
That's my boy, I brought
him along to help me.
- That's all you're hauling
back there, tomatoes?
- What else?
- Well I thought maybe
you might have
some of your cousins
stuck in the back there.
- My worthless cousins I
would haul in the manure,
not tomatoes, you
misjudge me senor.
- Well maybe, I'd still like
to have a look just
to make sure.
Will you hand me the keys
with your left hand, please?
- As you say officer, andale.
- Will you step out of the
truck please, come here.
You wanna open that door for me?
Well what do you know?
All right partner, let's
get this other side open.
[gunshot booms]
- Close it up.
[Vito moaning,
speaking in Spanish]
- What about the boy?
- Por favor.
[coughing]
- Sorry.
[gunshot booms]
Gimme a hand.
Get the boy.
- [Mirandez] Do you think
he phoned in the license?
- No, he didn't have
enough time.
- [Mirandez] There are too
many witnesses.
- Who are they gonna talk to?
Come on, let's go.
- Hey Phil, can I check
that list with you here?
- [Phil] Yeah.
- This belongs to him.
- Is there gonna be an
autopsy on this?
- [Phil] Sure there's gonna
be an autopsy, he got shot.
- How long you been here?
- [Phil] I just got here
45 minutes ago.
- What's this about?
- Herb, not yet, I'll
tell ya when.
- All right Jeb, just
doing my job.
- Let me do mine first,
they're not gonna go anywhere.
You're the kid
and you're Scooter.
You
and
you.
You're mine.
Willie, you see the tire tracks?
- Yeah, looks like a
pretty heavy truck.
I'll get Herb to get us
some pictures.
You know those sons of
bitches rifled Scooter's car,
they took his star scope
and I don't know what else.
- You think these mean anything?
- From the truck maybe.
- What else you got here?
- It's so awful.
- So where'd you see 'em?
- Over there.
- Uh-oh, here come
those Feebies.
- [Jeb] Run those tomatoes
over to the University.
Ask for Doc Warnham in the lab
and tell him I'll
call him later.
- Okay.
- FBI.
- Any idea on the kid?
- No, but he's wet.
- Shotgun, huh?
- They were shot here,
landed over here
and were dragged down
where you see them now.
Sawed-off.
- Drugs?
- Yeah, that's what I figure.
I'll check with San
Ysidro customs,
see what came in last night.
- Hey now wait a minute.
They could be aliens.
- Nobody kills for wetbacks.
This kid was probably a
mule who'd gotten away.
Your man return fire?
- His gun was never drawn.
- We're sorry about your man.
We'll do what we can to
get the guys that did it.
[police radio chatter]
- [Carl] You were late getting
in last night, Hotchkiss.
- They had the choppers on.
I had to hold back up in
the hills 'til they cleared.
- Everything's okay though?
- Piece of cake.
- I heard a border patrolman
got killed last night.
Shotgun, it was on the news.
By the description they gave,
I thought it might've been
near one of our pickup points.
- No.
No, it must have been
somewhere else.
- Might get hot around
here for a few days.
Maybe we should ship
all the wets out
and clean the place up.
- Yeah.
Already at work.
- You know what time
the funeral is?
- [Border Guard] I think it's
somewhere right around noon.
- Fill 'em in?
- Yeah.
- I know that Willie's
already talked
to you but I still have a
couple things.
The FBI is officially
conducting this
investigation but we're
not gonna wait for them.
What we're looking for
is an old paratroop boot
with a gash in the left heel
and the driver's wearing
a heavy ripple.
From now on every man here
is on a 12 hour shift.
No vacations, no sick pay,
no time off
and when you're out there,
remember that
every truck and van is
a possible load vehicle.
I don't want anybody comin'
back here
and givin' me all that
crap about probably cause.
Let's go.
Jimmy,
you come with me.
[anxious violin music]
These are the tracks all right.
[anxious violin, trumpet music]
Yeah, this is the place.
Been a lot of foot traffic
through here, wouldn't you say?
- If you say so.
- Let's go.
[anxious ensemble music]
- You mind telling me
what we're doing?
- Cuttin' the sign, tracking.
That's what we've been
doing for the last hour.
- What are you gonna do next,
hold your ear to the ground?
- Come here.
It's all right, come here,
I'm just gonna mark your boot.
Turn around.
We always mark our own boots.
I knew one little fart
that didn't, though
and one day
when he was working a section,
he got all confused
and started to follow his
own footprints.
- What happened to him?
- Well he followed himself
right up his own ass.
We never did see him again.
See that print?
They came from there
right down this way.
- How do you know it
wasn't a cow?
- A cow has a cloven hoof,
it would've cut this grass.
But a man pushes it down
and sometimes bruises it.
Although I did know a
crazy bastard
who tied cow's hooves
to his feet.
It didn't work though.
- Because a cow's got four legs,
right?
- Right, now you're catching on.
Some of these guys
strap tin cans,
rugs to the bottom of their
feet, even walk backwards.
- [Jimmy] They sure go
to a lot of trouble.
- [Jeb] The stakes are high.
- They find these often?
- It's only the third
time I've ever seen it
and all in the last
couple months.
Look at that.
It's the same damn boot print.
We're dealing with one
damn smart pujero.
[speaking Spanish]
- Hey man, what's
happening Loco?
You're shaking like a junkie.
- You didn't hear what happened
last night on the road?
- No, what?
- One of La Migra was killed.
- No shit?
- We're cruising down Highway
94, this dude pulls us over.
El Marino blew him away,
just like that.
One of the boys got in the way,
[speaking Spanish] he
blew him away too.
- Does La Migra know?
- Nobody knows except El
Marino, me and the wets.
Don't say anything, man.
The crazy bastard will
kill the both of us.
- Loco, see I'm cool okay?
- You got 'em all cleaned up?
Didn't let 'em mix
with the others?
- I did just like you said.
- Good.
Load 'em up.
Open the door.
[speaking Spanish]
- Hotchkiss, if the checkpoint
is working at San Clemente,
we're gonna have to take
the long way around to L.A.
- They're not going to
L.A., that's too close.
Arturo,
take 'em across I-10 to Phoenix.
Put them on planes to Chicago.
- Chicago?
- All the flight
information is in here,
they've all got reservations.
There's a lot more money in
here than you're gonna need.
Tell them not to worry
about anything.
There'll be people waiting for
them when they get
off the planes.
If you get a chance, give 'em
a couple water breaks okay?
- Okay.
- Okay.
Hey.
Amigo.
Esta todo bien, come on,
put a smile on your face.
There's nothing to worry about.
Come on, we're gonna find a
place to ditch this crate.
You follow me.
- Okay, I'll follow you.
- [Carl] In November we
delivered 4,690 units Mr.
Lydell,
which is 21% up from the
previous month.
- Good work Richards,
very impressive.
- It is, considering these
are traditionally slow months.
We've managed to overcome that,
make it a solid year
round business.
878 units came from
countries other than Mexico.
We're making up to $1500
extra on each one of them.
- What's the bottom line?
- Last month we
grossed 2,270,000.
Drivers were paid 156,000
and guides were paid 319,000
and Hotchkiss took 310,000.
That leaves a net to Lydell
Industries of $765,000.
- That bastard gets as much
out of this operation as I do.
- I know, but he's
the key to it.
Without him, we'd be lucky
to move 1,000 bodies a month.
- By the way,
do you know anything about this?
- I heard about it.
- We're not involved, are we?
- No.
But we plan a low
profile for a week or so,
just as a precaution.
- We're supposed to ship
2,000 around Christmas.
I wouldn't want something stupid
like this to screw things up.
- Don't worry.
- Good.
Starting the first of the year,
I want an increase on
deliveries to 7500 a month,
of which at least 1,000
should be women.
Can we do it?
- I don't know.
Winter is a slow time.
- Push on Hotchkiss.
New York will take 2,000 a
month if we can send them.
We also have calls for
at least 1,000
each from Chicago,
Boston and Philadelphia.
- Tijuana is gonna get
awfully crowded.
- We'll do our best to ease
their population explosion.
Keep up the good work, Richards.
You know, someday this
may be legitimate
and we'll be listed on
the commodities exchange.
- Yeah, trading in
wetback futures.
- A wetback doesn't
have a future.
[doorbell rings]
- Yes?
- I'm looking for an E. Morales.
- Where did you get
this address?
Why are you looking
for this person?
- There was a kid killed down
on the border last night.
He was a Mexican kid and
he had that in his pocket.
- Come in, please.
Do you mind waiting in here,
please?
- [Elena] Your elbow
goes on the green.
Get that hand over there,
no it's your knee on the red
and then your elbow--
- Elena,
could I see you a minute?
- Oh yeah.
Don't move 'til I get back.
- This man needs to see you.
- Elena Morales?
- Who are you?
- My name is Jeb Maynard.
Did you send this?
[Elena screams]
- [Homeowner] Are you sure
he was her son?
Couldn't there be some mistake?
- [Jeb] No mistake.
- How did this accident happen?
- [Jeb] Well Ms. Morales,
it wasn't an accident.
Your son was murdered.
Some of the
authorities believe that
he was mixed up with drugs.
- Oh no never, never.
- I don't believe it either.
I think he was being
smuggled across the border.
I also think you
expected him here.
- You're La Migra?
- Yes but I'm not
here to harm you.
But you will have to go
down and identify the body.
- No.
- Please, nobody
will bother you.
I'll take you down myself.
- Why, why do you do this?
- I had a friend that was
killed along with your son.
[ship horn blares]
[knocking]
- All those reports.
- Right, last night.
[telephone ringing]
Okay, we're gonna get
back to you.
[Elena gasps]
[weeping]
- Vito.
If I hadn't sent him the money,
he would still be alive today.
I must take him home.
- I don't think you'll be
able to do that.
Your son was murdered, so
they won't release the body.
- Never?
- No, not never but
not for awhile.
Ms. Morales, is there
anything you can
tell me that might help
me catch the killer?
- No.
- Is there anything you
can tell me about
the man that brought
you across the border,
where he took you,
anything at all?
- I'm sorry, I do not
remember those things.
Mr. Maynard, I would
like to help you but...
Will you find the man
who did this?
- Oh yes, we'll find him.
It may take some time but
we'll find him.
[ship horn blares]
[somber funerary trumpet music]
[gunshots booming]
- We commit his body
to the ground,
earth to earth, ashes to
ashes, dust to dust in the sure
and certain hope of the
resurrection unto everlasting
life
through Jesus Christ
our Lord, let us pray.
Dear God, in sorrow of
heart and in quietness
and confidence, we gather
for these last
solemn and tender moments
of faith and love.
Lift us above the shadows
and sadness of death
to give each of us thy
word of peace.
- Two months from
retirement, this happens.
It doesn't seem fair.
- Yeah.
- It makes you wonder sometimes,
huh?
It's good to see you Jeb,
despite the circumstances.
- Good to see you too, Malcolm.
What's happening in Washington?
- Same old bullshit.
Still trying to get a
decent bill through
Congress so you can
have the manpower
and equipment you need to
stem the tide out here.
- I mean what's happening on
Scooter's case with the FBI?
- It's still under
investigation.
- Which means they haven't a
damn thing to go on, right?
You know, why don't they realize
it has nothing to do with drugs.
It has to do with
smuggling aliens.
- Why would anyone
kill for aliens?
- Oh, come on Malcolm.
For the money, times
have changed.
It's a big business now, hell,
they're running us over
coming across that border.
- Jeb, Jeb, don't start huh?
It's the FBI's department but
they don't look for aliens.
They look for killers and
bank robbers, lay off.
- [Dispatch] Field units, this
is Sector, does anybody copy?
- This is Echo Two, go ahead.
- [Dispatch] The FBI
found that truck
we've been looking for
on Highway 64.
- Hold on, Jeb, the
FBI found that
truck we've been looking
for on Highway 64.
[police radio chatter]
- [Officer] Go on through,
gentlemen.
- [FBI Agent] This is Miller
Unit Seven out here on 64.
- [Officer] Hold it.
- [Officer] Units five, 11
and 17 are also out here.
- [FBI Agent] Standard
'68 Ford, it's stripped.
No plates, no ID numbers.
- [Jeb] This is the truck all
right, the tire tracks match.
- [FBI Agent] It's drugs,
just like we thought.
- [Jeb] How do you figure that?
- [FBI Agent] They
must've had three tons
of marijuana stashed in
the back of this thing.
- [FBI Agent] We'll call
Drug Enforcement on this one.
I guess that blows your
theory on wets, Maynard.
We'll let you know if the
lab comes up with anything.
- What do you think?
- He's one of them but
not the one we want.
- Hey Jeb,
you by that drug stuff?
- Someone went to the trouble
of removing all identification
but they leave a trace of
marijuana like those bags?
No, I don't buy it.
- Come on.
So,
you satisfied?
- About the drugs in there?
- Yeah.
- Nope.
- Let the FBI take care of it.
They know what they're doing,
it's not our jurisdiction.
It's theirs, don't worry
about it okay?
- Yeah sure, okay.
[speaking Spanish]
- [Man] Hey, you forgot
your ticket stub hombre.
Get a carwash, loco.
[knocking]
- [Jeb] Ms. Morales, I'd
like to talk with you.
- [Elena] I cannot talk
now, please come back later.
- [Jeb] It won't wait.
- I'm working.
- Please Ms. Morales, it's
very important.
Can we do this alone?
[speaking Spanish]
- How did you find me?
- The lady you work for
gave me this address.
Your son Ms. Morales, he was
not mixed up with the drugs.
He was being smuggled across
the border just like I said
and the guy that was bringing
him across killed him.
- You find the man?
- No.
I'm having a lot of
problems that way.
As far as everybody
else is concerned,
the case is closed and you're
the only one that can help me.
That's why I'm here?
- How?
- You know the way that you came
across the border into
this country.
Now if you and me went
down into Mexico
and came back the same way--
- Oh no, I couldn't.
- Ms. Morales, it's not
my way to threaten anybody
but I'll have to send you
back on a Border Patrol bus.
But if you go over with me,
you have a chance of
coming back.
- If I tell you where you
can meet the arranger,
isn't that enough?
- I couldn't get away
with it alone,
my Spanish isn't good
enough to pass as a Mexican.
They'd spot me right away.
[car horns honking]
[woman screaming]
- Stop, stop, grab her, get her!
[steam hissing]
You'll be all right, come on.
- They will let the
gringo woman go
and next week she'll come
to Tijuana again
to get her new maid.
[whistles blowing]
[Spanish style violin music]
[singing in Spanish]
The bar over there, that's
where we start.
[jazzy ensemble music]
We'll wait for the arranger.
- Oh, here's comes trouble.
- It's all right.
[speaking Spanish]
- Gracias.
No, eh?
[speaking Spanish]
[speaking Spanish]
- You see that thing he's
looking through?
See if you can find out
where he got it.
- Senor.
[speaking Spanish]
[speaking Spanish]
[anxious violin music]
[shouting in Spanish]
- [Bandit] Andale, Andale,
Andale.
- Hey look what I found, a puta.
Come on you little whore,
lemme show you--
[woman screaming]
[anxious mid tempo violin music]
- [Jeb] Follow the guide.
- Hurry up!
- [Elena] Senor!
- Come on.
[speaking Spanish]
- Nombre?
- Antonio.
- What is this?
- Glad to see you're hard
at work, Willie.
- What the hell are you
doing out here?
Who's side are you on, anyway?
- It's a long story, I'll
tell you about it later.
Can we go?
- Yeah, yeah.
- What do you do now?
- I don't know.
- And me?
- What about you?
- When will you send your
men here to pick me up?
will I have time to
pack my clothes or will
you pick me up like the
coyote do across the border?
- Just a minute.
Wait a minute, listen.
After the holidays, why don't
you get in touch with me
and I'll try to help you get
permanent resident status.
- Will you do that?
- Sure.
You tried to help me,
I'll try to help you.
- Thank you.
[knocking]
- Jeb?
It's me, Jimmy.
[faint coughing]
Hey Jeb, come on wake up.
- Hi.
- It's a beautiful day.
- Yeah?
Why don't you go out there
and enjoy it, you know?
I'll see you tomorrow.
- They told me about your
trip across the border.
It sounded like fun.
- I was pretty close to
something but I blew it.
- That's too bad.
So what now?
- Unless somebody gets a
brilliant idea,
I guess we're gonna have
to do it the hard way
and hope maybe we can find those
boot prints someplace
else sometime.
- Maybe we can improve
the odds a little.
- How's that?
- Remember those tomatoes I
found near Scooter's body?
That guy down at the
University lab
came up with something
very interesting.
They were sprayed with a
pesticide called diazinon.
Real deadly stuff,
only the biggest
commercial growers can
get a permit.
So I checked it out at
the agricultural office.
It seems nearly 1,000 people
put in for pesticide
permits last year
but only 86 used diazinon.
Hey, am I boring you or what?
Yes but
it's educating, go ahead.
- Well I just wanted to
tell you that out of the 86,
only six grow tomatoes.
- What?
Six?
- Yeah, six.
- Hey, that's a damn
fine piece of tracking.
I'm proud of you, you did well.
[speaking Spanish]
- [Border Guard] I thought
we were going home,
now he wants us to stick around.
- Boys, you all received
your assignments.
Do you know what
you're looking for?
- Yeah.
- Right.
- The guy we're looking for
is Anglo, remember that.
We'll work our way west
from the Glen Allen ranch.
Let's not waist daylight, okay?
- [Border Guard] Immigration!
Immigration!
[speaking Spanish]
- Echo One, this is Echo Four.
We got a bunch near Piper's
and we'll need a couple vans.
- Any of them Anglos?
- Negative.
- Let 'em go.
- Repeat?
- I said let 'em go, we're
only looking for Anglos.
- Jeb says spring them.
- What the hell for?
- We're only looking for Anglos.
- Then what the hell are we
doing out in a field like this?
- How the hell am I
supposed to know?
- I tell ya, this shit's
turned old Jeb's head around.
[speaking Spanish]
- What do you got here, Willie?
- I followed a group of
workers through the fields
down the road and this
is where they led me.
- How many of them are there?
- 25 or 30.
What do you wanna do, you
wanna bust 'em?
- No, I wanna check out
the ranch house first.
Hey Jimmy, if you want
a closer look go ahead.
- Oh no no, it's okay.
- We have time, go ahead.
[baby moaning]
[speaking Spanish]
- [Hotchkiss] We cut
traffic in half,
we're shipping in 2500.
That's 2,000 less than
what we were doing.
- [Carl] We need 10,000 a
month next year.
- Carl, you're getting greedy.
- La Migra is here.
- You two stay outta sight.
- What do you think they want?
- It's just routine.
- What about the
stuff in the barn?
- No, they won't even look okay?
Take it easy, relax.
- Hey look man, that guy
in the mustache.
He was in the group I
brought over the other night.
- You're crazy.
- No man, I'm sure.
- That's the head honcho
of the La Mesa station.
Get outta here.
- [Jeb] Hi Carl, how you doing?
- [Carl] Holding up, you
come to bust my gardeners?
- [Jeb] Well I did notice
you have a whole
new crew working the back
property, maybe I will.
- I don't know why you go to all
this trouble after
all these years.
You know we can't get
anyone else to do this work.
- Not for the wages you pay.
You have some more
hidden around,
maybe in the barns, the house?
- No.
- Mind if I take a look?
- Yes.
- Not very neighborly.
- [Carl] I don't think it's
very neighborly to go around
busting people who are
trying to better themselves.
- When I take them off here,
they better themselves.
I don't supposed you'll let
us have a drink of water?
- Sure, you can use the
hose like everyone else.
- This guy Richards is a
real sweetheart.
He's got these people
living in shit and he's
got the balls to act as
if he cares about them.
- He doesn't care about them,
it's the economics he
cares about.
Hey wait a minute.
Look at this.
Hey Willie.
- Oh?
- Come here.
Look at that print, it belongs
to the guy we're looking for.
Jesus, spread the men out,
see if they can spot him.
- You bet.
- Where the hell are they going?
[speaking Spanish]
- [Jeb] Never mind those two,
check with Willie
right over there.
- All right.
- What the hell's going on?
- [Jeb] I wanna have a
look in your house.
- You don't get inside the
house without a warrant.
- What's the problem, Carl?
Somebody turn in your
cleaning lady?
- [Carl] Some guys never outgrow
the need to play
cowboys and Indians.
- Don't be too harsh on
my buddy here,
he needs all the
help he can get.
I'll see you tomorrow, Carl.
- Take it easy.
- Excuse me.
- We can't afford to lay
off right now.
We've got 2,000 wets on order
by the end of the month.
Half the money is
already in with
another million due on delivery.
We have got to maintain
our credibility.
- I think it's too risky.
Maynard's on to something,
I can just feel it.
- You're overreacting.
- He's like a bulldog,
he gets something between
his teeth, he doesn't let go.
- How long would it take you
to put 2,000 wets together?
- Overnight but that's
not the problem.
It's getting them
across the border--
- We're going to do it
all in one day.
- [Carl] That's impossible.
- Nothing is impossible.
We're gonna do it Christmas
Eve and Christmas Day.
La Mesa always runs a
skeleton crew then.
The day after Christmas, the
ranch will be clean again.
- I still don't think
it can be done.
- Richards,
it will be done.
- We're making one big run
tomorrow night.
We're bringing 2,000 wets
across and we're
moving 'em off this ranch
in less than 12 hours.
- That's impossible.
- No, it isn't.
For working Christmas Eve,
you'll each receive a
bonus of $1,000.
Okay.
We're all taking the
Mother Grundy Truck Trail.
- [Border Guide] What
about La Migra's sensors?
- Arturo and I tore out the
sensors yesterday afternoon.
Now we hit the trail
at 30 minute intervals.
Arturo's load goes first.
I'll bring the last
group through.
It's imperative that
each group hit the trail
and the road at the time
designated for it to do so.
If you have any problems,
if you cannot
make it on time, ditch
your group and leg it home.
We've got no time for screw ups.
Any questions?
[anxious violin music]
[faint speaking in Spanish]
- Hi, remember me?
Huh?
We came across the
border a couple
nights ago, now you remember?
[thud, groans]
You remember me?
Remember?
You son of a bitch, I'm
gonna make you remember.
I'll freshen up your
memory damn quick.
[gurgling]
Now do you remember?
You killed a friend of mine
and a little boy
about a week ago.
Yes, and now I'm gonna kill
you, you son of a bitch.
- I didn't kill 'em,
it was Marino.
- What's his real name?
- Hotchkiss.
- Hotchkiss huh, what's
he look like?
What's he look like?
- He's a white guy.
He's got blond hair, he
killed La Migra.
- Okay listen, there's something
big coming down at that ranch.
I want you to tell me about it.
I want you to set up
Hotchkiss for me, you hear?
You hear?
- If I tell you,
I go free.
- You go free if I nail him.
- Okay.
All right.
- [Border Guard] It's Christmas
and he's got the whole
station here, wonder if
something
ain't happening tonight.
- [Jimmy] Hey Denny, Denny.
- [Border Guard] Yeah
well, we're gonna have
Christmas dinner a
little late tonight.
We gotta work tonight.
- Something's going down.
- What do you mean what time?
Of course I know what time
it is, I'm wearing a watch.
- [Willie] I know it's
Christmas Eve.
[chattering, overlapping voices]
You tell him Willie said that.
He's on his way to church
with his family.
- [Jeb] All right.
- [Border Guard] I can't
talk any longer, I gotta go.
- Boys.
I wanna remind
everybody not to be
too anxious tonight and
jump the gun.
We want to hit 'em inside
the ranch property,
which is about right here.
I also want to remind you
to check your flashlights,
Walkie-Talkies, scopes and
especially your firearms.
We might have use for
them tonight.
Any questions?
Yeah Willie, let's move in.
[anxious ensemble music]
What's it look like over there?
- My area is clean.
- There's a light on
in the barn.
- Yeah, I thought I
heard someone.
- Dave, you better
check that out.
Jimmy, you go with him.
- Right.
- Willie, you and Matt
position the men
so that the entire
area is covered.
- Right.
[anxious violin music]
- [Carl] What the hell?
- Come along, Carl.
Ooh Carl, this is quite
an operation you got here.
Really classy.
How many men were in here?
- Just those two.
- [Ab] Hey Jeb, this is Ab,
I think the first truck
just came on the property.
- Okay, we're ready
for them here
but make sure you're
not seen now.
[speaking Spanish]
- Hold it, sucker!
[anxious piano, violin music]
- Okay pal, inside.
- [Border Guard] Not
so fast amigo, come on.
[anxious violin music]
- [Border Guard] Get out
here, get going, move it!
- Come on folks, come on now.
- Vamanos.
Andale, Andale.
Andale.
[anxious trumpet music]
Vamanos.
Out this way.
Vamanos.
- [Jimmy] Where do you
think Hotchkiss is?
- [Jeb] He's supposed
to be in the last truck.
- [Border Guard] Lead
'em right through there.
- Quickly, quickly,
[speaking Spanish].
- Get in there, gettin'
busy out there.
Starting to run behind schedule.
- [Border Guard] Andale, Andale.
[anxious violin, piano music]
[anxious trumpet music]
- Okay Charlie, now this
guy's dangerous, be careful.
- Right.
- [Hotchkiss] Stop at the
house, get them in the barn.
I gotta talk to Richards,
we're running late.
[yelling in Spanish]
- Where is he?
- In the house.
- [Willie] Cuff him,
get him inside.
Jimmy, make sure
nobody gets out.
Get everybody in there, move,
move.
[machine gunfire booming]
[tense ensemble music]
[tense up tempo ensemble music]
[birds chirping]
[rustling]
[bird cawing repeatedly]
[wings flapping]
- [Jeb] End of the road.
[gunfire booming]
[anxious violin music]
[chattering]
- [Reporter] One more.
There's Lydell now.
- Wait a second.
- [Reporter] Rolling there,
this way.
One more, please.
One more.
- [Woman] Ooh, that's the
man that was in the paper.
- [Man] He's the guy.
- [Woman] I know who he is.
- [Man] It's Lydell.
- Would you like to
make a statement
regarding the trial, Mr. Lydell?
- I was never concerned because
I knew the charges
were groundless.
You have to believe in the
American system
and I'll tell you
something, the system works.
- In a month, he'll be
back in business.
- It's okay kid, so will we.
- [Photographer] Can we
have one shot?
- [Reporter] Charlie, gimme
some more slack on that cable.
Mr. Lydell sir, just
one question.
[chattering, overlapping voices]
One question, sir.
Mr. Lydell.
[relaxed ensemble music]
[relaxed ensemble music]
[up tempo ensemble music]
[anxious violin music]
- [Border Guide] Andale, Andale!
[speaking Spanish]
Andale!
Andale!
- [Border Guard] You, follow me.
- Hey Ski, where'd you
put down they came in?
- E-six, what time did you put?
- Four p.m. sound right?
- Yeah, it's good enough
for government work.
- Vamanos.
- [Border Guard] Yes ma'am,
yes ma'am.
- Join the party Jeb,
grab a Guatemalan
or maybe you'd rather
have an El Salvadorian.
There's plenty to go around.
- You catch 'em, you clean 'em.
Willie, what do you got?
- Two groups, the guides
split with their money
and left these poor
bastards rambling around
in the brush for two
days with no food.
- [Jeb] You think they're part
of that Sand Canyon bunch?
- [Willie] No way Jeb,
they're too sloppy.
[speaking Spanish]
- [Border Guard] Occupation?
- Hey pal, where can I
find the senior officer?
- That's me, who are you?
- Fante sir, Jimmy Fante.
I've been sent out here
on detail from New York.
- Oh hey, you're a day late.
- I kept gettin' lost.
- Ah well, where are the others?
- Others, sir?
- They didn't send
anybody else with you?
- Not as far as I know, sir.
- Oh Jesus.
I asked for a dozen extra
hands and they send one.
I guess they feel one
grunt from New York
is worth 12 men, that
right Fonte?
- I kinda doubt that, sir.
- No more sir, just
call me Jeb okay?
- Right, Jeb.
- Let me see now.
Hey, where are you taking him?
- Holding pen, this
one's a pujero.
- [Border Guide] Lemme
get your name.
- What's a pujero?
- He's a guide.
Son of a bitch, preys on
these other poor people.
Hey Willie,
Willie.
This is Jimmy Fante?
- Fante.
- Willie, show him around,
fill him in.
- Come on, this way.
My name's Willie Lambert.
Gimme that, put it over here.
All right now then, you
look at this map.
You see this here is our sector.
That's about 1200 square
miles, maybe 1,000 canyons.
Now 10 years ago we
were lucky if we
caught 100 aliens a
month but right now
we're in the middle of a
damned invasion.
They're running right over us.
Last summer this little
pulled in over 3,000 a month
and for every one we caught,
three of 'em slipped past us.
[speaking Spanish]
How's your Spanish?
- Impeccable.
- Impeccable, we could use a
lot of impeccable around here.
- Wait, maybe impeccable
was too strong a word.
- Whatever it is, you
just sit down here
next to Mr. Monroe and
practice your Spanish.
Charlie Monroe, this
is Jimmy Fante.
Okay, let me find you
somebody here, let's see.
You sir.
Por favor.
- Como se llama?
- Miguel Fernando Jesus Gomez.
[speaking Spanish]
- Momento.
Como se llama?
- Miguel Fernando Jesus Gomez.
- This funny?
[laughs]
- Go ahead.
- [Border Guide] Rodriguez,
Roberto.
Gonzales, Ernesto.
Arsante, Victor.
Gonzales, Jose.
[speaking Spanish]
- I hope it doesn't rain.
- It might rain.
- What's the matter with you?
Your ass is really dragging,
you look down Scooter.
- Oh, just a little tired of it.
Chase these Mexicans all
over these goddamn hills,
you catch 'em one day and
they're back the next.
There's this young kid in there,
I've caught him four
times this month myself.
- Just look at it this way,
if they didn't keep running,
you'd be out of a job.
What's happening, kid?
- I don't know.
Is it always like this?
I just processed an old man
who sold his tailor shop
and gave up his life
savings to come here.
Now he's got nothing,
his whole life
went down the drain and
I watched it.
- [Willie] You're gonna
hear a lot of sad stories,
so don't let it get to you.
What's coming down, Chief?
- We're supposed to
assist Chula tonight,
work old La Mesa.
- With all the men they got up
there, they want assistance?
There ain't but four
of us on duty
tonight to cover this
whole sector.
- I know but the orders
just came down, there's
a bunch comin' through and we
have to give 'em some help.
Me, Willie and the kid,
we'll take La Mesa.
You can work sensor traffic.
If you get a chance,
drop down around Tecate.
Have a look around down there,
will you?
- Sleep tight, America.
Your tax dollars are
hard at work.
[anxious trumpet music]
[speaking Spanish]
- I'll give you a little
field training.
You know what a sensor is?
- No.
- Well I'll show you.
[anxious trumpet, violin music]
This is a seismic sensor,
you step on it,
anywhere near it, it
sends a signal to La Migra
telling them exactly
where you are.
By the time you hit the road,
they're waiting for you
with a Greyhound bus
to take you back home.
- How'd you know that was there?
- One of my guides got busted
coming through here last week.
You see how those
trails criss-cross?
That's where I'd plant it
if I was them.
- You're pretty smart
for a white guy.
- Uncle Sam spent a lot of bread
in 'Nam teaching me how to be.
Okay, we split up here.
You take your group
up that trail,
horse trail then we'll
meet you on the road.
[speaking Spanish]
[helicopter whirring]
[yelling in Spanish]
- [Border Pilot] I spotted 'em,
they're taking off down
towards that sandbar.
- [Willie] Push 'em down
towards the sandbar, drive 'em!
- [Border Pilot] I got
some in the bushes for you.
Andale hombres, okay boys,
party's over.
[yelling in Spanish]
- Andale!
[speaking Spanish]
Pronto!
You been waiting long?
- No I just got here, wait.
Why don't you ride up in
front with me?
It smells like a cattle
truck back here.
- Gringo, with you at
this time of night,
that'd be like waiting
a red flat at La Migra.
Son.
- No, [speaking Spanish] no.
- You speak English, you
understand me?
- Yes sir, yes.
- Good boy.
He's your son, ever had
a son before Mirandez?
- [Mirandez] For all I know,
I am father to 30 little
bastards in Tijuana.
[speaking Spanish]
- Vito, Vito Morales senor.
Mexico.
Si senor, [speaking Spanish].
[anxious violin music]
[humming country music]
- Tomates.
I wonder if he's hauling
anything besides tomates?
I think his tomatoes are wet.
[anxious ensemble music]
[sirens blaring]
63B.
Buenas Noches, senor.
- Good evening.
What's the problem officer,
are my taillights out?
- No.
It's just a routine check.
What are you fellas doin'
up this time of night?
- We have to deliver these
tomatoes all the way up to L.A.
That's my boy, I brought
him along to help me.
- That's all you're hauling
back there, tomatoes?
- What else?
- Well I thought maybe
you might have
some of your cousins
stuck in the back there.
- My worthless cousins I
would haul in the manure,
not tomatoes, you
misjudge me senor.
- Well maybe, I'd still like
to have a look just
to make sure.
Will you hand me the keys
with your left hand, please?
- As you say officer, andale.
- Will you step out of the
truck please, come here.
You wanna open that door for me?
Well what do you know?
All right partner, let's
get this other side open.
[gunshot booms]
- Close it up.
[Vito moaning,
speaking in Spanish]
- What about the boy?
- Por favor.
[coughing]
- Sorry.
[gunshot booms]
Gimme a hand.
Get the boy.
- [Mirandez] Do you think
he phoned in the license?
- No, he didn't have
enough time.
- [Mirandez] There are too
many witnesses.
- Who are they gonna talk to?
Come on, let's go.
- Hey Phil, can I check
that list with you here?
- [Phil] Yeah.
- This belongs to him.
- Is there gonna be an
autopsy on this?
- [Phil] Sure there's gonna
be an autopsy, he got shot.
- How long you been here?
- [Phil] I just got here
45 minutes ago.
- What's this about?
- Herb, not yet, I'll
tell ya when.
- All right Jeb, just
doing my job.
- Let me do mine first,
they're not gonna go anywhere.
You're the kid
and you're Scooter.
You
and
you.
You're mine.
Willie, you see the tire tracks?
- Yeah, looks like a
pretty heavy truck.
I'll get Herb to get us
some pictures.
You know those sons of
bitches rifled Scooter's car,
they took his star scope
and I don't know what else.
- You think these mean anything?
- From the truck maybe.
- What else you got here?
- It's so awful.
- So where'd you see 'em?
- Over there.
- Uh-oh, here come
those Feebies.
- [Jeb] Run those tomatoes
over to the University.
Ask for Doc Warnham in the lab
and tell him I'll
call him later.
- Okay.
- FBI.
- Any idea on the kid?
- No, but he's wet.
- Shotgun, huh?
- They were shot here,
landed over here
and were dragged down
where you see them now.
Sawed-off.
- Drugs?
- Yeah, that's what I figure.
I'll check with San
Ysidro customs,
see what came in last night.
- Hey now wait a minute.
They could be aliens.
- Nobody kills for wetbacks.
This kid was probably a
mule who'd gotten away.
Your man return fire?
- His gun was never drawn.
- We're sorry about your man.
We'll do what we can to
get the guys that did it.
[police radio chatter]
- [Carl] You were late getting
in last night, Hotchkiss.
- They had the choppers on.
I had to hold back up in
the hills 'til they cleared.
- Everything's okay though?
- Piece of cake.
- I heard a border patrolman
got killed last night.
Shotgun, it was on the news.
By the description they gave,
I thought it might've been
near one of our pickup points.
- No.
No, it must have been
somewhere else.
- Might get hot around
here for a few days.
Maybe we should ship
all the wets out
and clean the place up.
- Yeah.
Already at work.
- You know what time
the funeral is?
- [Border Guard] I think it's
somewhere right around noon.
- Fill 'em in?
- Yeah.
- I know that Willie's
already talked
to you but I still have a
couple things.
The FBI is officially
conducting this
investigation but we're
not gonna wait for them.
What we're looking for
is an old paratroop boot
with a gash in the left heel
and the driver's wearing
a heavy ripple.
From now on every man here
is on a 12 hour shift.
No vacations, no sick pay,
no time off
and when you're out there,
remember that
every truck and van is
a possible load vehicle.
I don't want anybody comin'
back here
and givin' me all that
crap about probably cause.
Let's go.
Jimmy,
you come with me.
[anxious violin music]
These are the tracks all right.
[anxious violin, trumpet music]
Yeah, this is the place.
Been a lot of foot traffic
through here, wouldn't you say?
- If you say so.
- Let's go.
[anxious ensemble music]
- You mind telling me
what we're doing?
- Cuttin' the sign, tracking.
That's what we've been
doing for the last hour.
- What are you gonna do next,
hold your ear to the ground?
- Come here.
It's all right, come here,
I'm just gonna mark your boot.
Turn around.
We always mark our own boots.
I knew one little fart
that didn't, though
and one day
when he was working a section,
he got all confused
and started to follow his
own footprints.
- What happened to him?
- Well he followed himself
right up his own ass.
We never did see him again.
See that print?
They came from there
right down this way.
- How do you know it
wasn't a cow?
- A cow has a cloven hoof,
it would've cut this grass.
But a man pushes it down
and sometimes bruises it.
Although I did know a
crazy bastard
who tied cow's hooves
to his feet.
It didn't work though.
- Because a cow's got four legs,
right?
- Right, now you're catching on.
Some of these guys
strap tin cans,
rugs to the bottom of their
feet, even walk backwards.
- [Jimmy] They sure go
to a lot of trouble.
- [Jeb] The stakes are high.
- They find these often?
- It's only the third
time I've ever seen it
and all in the last
couple months.
Look at that.
It's the same damn boot print.
We're dealing with one
damn smart pujero.
[speaking Spanish]
- Hey man, what's
happening Loco?
You're shaking like a junkie.
- You didn't hear what happened
last night on the road?
- No, what?
- One of La Migra was killed.
- No shit?
- We're cruising down Highway
94, this dude pulls us over.
El Marino blew him away,
just like that.
One of the boys got in the way,
[speaking Spanish] he
blew him away too.
- Does La Migra know?
- Nobody knows except El
Marino, me and the wets.
Don't say anything, man.
The crazy bastard will
kill the both of us.
- Loco, see I'm cool okay?
- You got 'em all cleaned up?
Didn't let 'em mix
with the others?
- I did just like you said.
- Good.
Load 'em up.
Open the door.
[speaking Spanish]
- Hotchkiss, if the checkpoint
is working at San Clemente,
we're gonna have to take
the long way around to L.A.
- They're not going to
L.A., that's too close.
Arturo,
take 'em across I-10 to Phoenix.
Put them on planes to Chicago.
- Chicago?
- All the flight
information is in here,
they've all got reservations.
There's a lot more money in
here than you're gonna need.
Tell them not to worry
about anything.
There'll be people waiting for
them when they get
off the planes.
If you get a chance, give 'em
a couple water breaks okay?
- Okay.
- Okay.
Hey.
Amigo.
Esta todo bien, come on,
put a smile on your face.
There's nothing to worry about.
Come on, we're gonna find a
place to ditch this crate.
You follow me.
- Okay, I'll follow you.
- [Carl] In November we
delivered 4,690 units Mr.
Lydell,
which is 21% up from the
previous month.
- Good work Richards,
very impressive.
- It is, considering these
are traditionally slow months.
We've managed to overcome that,
make it a solid year
round business.
878 units came from
countries other than Mexico.
We're making up to $1500
extra on each one of them.
- What's the bottom line?
- Last month we
grossed 2,270,000.
Drivers were paid 156,000
and guides were paid 319,000
and Hotchkiss took 310,000.
That leaves a net to Lydell
Industries of $765,000.
- That bastard gets as much
out of this operation as I do.
- I know, but he's
the key to it.
Without him, we'd be lucky
to move 1,000 bodies a month.
- By the way,
do you know anything about this?
- I heard about it.
- We're not involved, are we?
- No.
But we plan a low
profile for a week or so,
just as a precaution.
- We're supposed to ship
2,000 around Christmas.
I wouldn't want something stupid
like this to screw things up.
- Don't worry.
- Good.
Starting the first of the year,
I want an increase on
deliveries to 7500 a month,
of which at least 1,000
should be women.
Can we do it?
- I don't know.
Winter is a slow time.
- Push on Hotchkiss.
New York will take 2,000 a
month if we can send them.
We also have calls for
at least 1,000
each from Chicago,
Boston and Philadelphia.
- Tijuana is gonna get
awfully crowded.
- We'll do our best to ease
their population explosion.
Keep up the good work, Richards.
You know, someday this
may be legitimate
and we'll be listed on
the commodities exchange.
- Yeah, trading in
wetback futures.
- A wetback doesn't
have a future.
[doorbell rings]
- Yes?
- I'm looking for an E. Morales.
- Where did you get
this address?
Why are you looking
for this person?
- There was a kid killed down
on the border last night.
He was a Mexican kid and
he had that in his pocket.
- Come in, please.
Do you mind waiting in here,
please?
- [Elena] Your elbow
goes on the green.
Get that hand over there,
no it's your knee on the red
and then your elbow--
- Elena,
could I see you a minute?
- Oh yeah.
Don't move 'til I get back.
- This man needs to see you.
- Elena Morales?
- Who are you?
- My name is Jeb Maynard.
Did you send this?
[Elena screams]
- [Homeowner] Are you sure
he was her son?
Couldn't there be some mistake?
- [Jeb] No mistake.
- How did this accident happen?
- [Jeb] Well Ms. Morales,
it wasn't an accident.
Your son was murdered.
Some of the
authorities believe that
he was mixed up with drugs.
- Oh no never, never.
- I don't believe it either.
I think he was being
smuggled across the border.
I also think you
expected him here.
- You're La Migra?
- Yes but I'm not
here to harm you.
But you will have to go
down and identify the body.
- No.
- Please, nobody
will bother you.
I'll take you down myself.
- Why, why do you do this?
- I had a friend that was
killed along with your son.
[ship horn blares]
[knocking]
- All those reports.
- Right, last night.
[telephone ringing]
Okay, we're gonna get
back to you.
[Elena gasps]
[weeping]
- Vito.
If I hadn't sent him the money,
he would still be alive today.
I must take him home.
- I don't think you'll be
able to do that.
Your son was murdered, so
they won't release the body.
- Never?
- No, not never but
not for awhile.
Ms. Morales, is there
anything you can
tell me that might help
me catch the killer?
- No.
- Is there anything you
can tell me about
the man that brought
you across the border,
where he took you,
anything at all?
- I'm sorry, I do not
remember those things.
Mr. Maynard, I would
like to help you but...
Will you find the man
who did this?
- Oh yes, we'll find him.
It may take some time but
we'll find him.
[ship horn blares]
[somber funerary trumpet music]
[gunshots booming]
- We commit his body
to the ground,
earth to earth, ashes to
ashes, dust to dust in the sure
and certain hope of the
resurrection unto everlasting
life
through Jesus Christ
our Lord, let us pray.
Dear God, in sorrow of
heart and in quietness
and confidence, we gather
for these last
solemn and tender moments
of faith and love.
Lift us above the shadows
and sadness of death
to give each of us thy
word of peace.
- Two months from
retirement, this happens.
It doesn't seem fair.
- Yeah.
- It makes you wonder sometimes,
huh?
It's good to see you Jeb,
despite the circumstances.
- Good to see you too, Malcolm.
What's happening in Washington?
- Same old bullshit.
Still trying to get a
decent bill through
Congress so you can
have the manpower
and equipment you need to
stem the tide out here.
- I mean what's happening on
Scooter's case with the FBI?
- It's still under
investigation.
- Which means they haven't a
damn thing to go on, right?
You know, why don't they realize
it has nothing to do with drugs.
It has to do with
smuggling aliens.
- Why would anyone
kill for aliens?
- Oh, come on Malcolm.
For the money, times
have changed.
It's a big business now, hell,
they're running us over
coming across that border.
- Jeb, Jeb, don't start huh?
It's the FBI's department but
they don't look for aliens.
They look for killers and
bank robbers, lay off.
- [Dispatch] Field units, this
is Sector, does anybody copy?
- This is Echo Two, go ahead.
- [Dispatch] The FBI
found that truck
we've been looking for
on Highway 64.
- Hold on, Jeb, the
FBI found that
truck we've been looking
for on Highway 64.
[police radio chatter]
- [Officer] Go on through,
gentlemen.
- [FBI Agent] This is Miller
Unit Seven out here on 64.
- [Officer] Hold it.
- [Officer] Units five, 11
and 17 are also out here.
- [FBI Agent] Standard
'68 Ford, it's stripped.
No plates, no ID numbers.
- [Jeb] This is the truck all
right, the tire tracks match.
- [FBI Agent] It's drugs,
just like we thought.
- [Jeb] How do you figure that?
- [FBI Agent] They
must've had three tons
of marijuana stashed in
the back of this thing.
- [FBI Agent] We'll call
Drug Enforcement on this one.
I guess that blows your
theory on wets, Maynard.
We'll let you know if the
lab comes up with anything.
- What do you think?
- He's one of them but
not the one we want.
- Hey Jeb,
you by that drug stuff?
- Someone went to the trouble
of removing all identification
but they leave a trace of
marijuana like those bags?
No, I don't buy it.
- Come on.
So,
you satisfied?
- About the drugs in there?
- Yeah.
- Nope.
- Let the FBI take care of it.
They know what they're doing,
it's not our jurisdiction.
It's theirs, don't worry
about it okay?
- Yeah sure, okay.
[speaking Spanish]
- [Man] Hey, you forgot
your ticket stub hombre.
Get a carwash, loco.
[knocking]
- [Jeb] Ms. Morales, I'd
like to talk with you.
- [Elena] I cannot talk
now, please come back later.
- [Jeb] It won't wait.
- I'm working.
- Please Ms. Morales, it's
very important.
Can we do this alone?
[speaking Spanish]
- How did you find me?
- The lady you work for
gave me this address.
Your son Ms. Morales, he was
not mixed up with the drugs.
He was being smuggled across
the border just like I said
and the guy that was bringing
him across killed him.
- You find the man?
- No.
I'm having a lot of
problems that way.
As far as everybody
else is concerned,
the case is closed and you're
the only one that can help me.
That's why I'm here?
- How?
- You know the way that you came
across the border into
this country.
Now if you and me went
down into Mexico
and came back the same way--
- Oh no, I couldn't.
- Ms. Morales, it's not
my way to threaten anybody
but I'll have to send you
back on a Border Patrol bus.
But if you go over with me,
you have a chance of
coming back.
- If I tell you where you
can meet the arranger,
isn't that enough?
- I couldn't get away
with it alone,
my Spanish isn't good
enough to pass as a Mexican.
They'd spot me right away.
[car horns honking]
[woman screaming]
- Stop, stop, grab her, get her!
[steam hissing]
You'll be all right, come on.
- They will let the
gringo woman go
and next week she'll come
to Tijuana again
to get her new maid.
[whistles blowing]
[Spanish style violin music]
[singing in Spanish]
The bar over there, that's
where we start.
[jazzy ensemble music]
We'll wait for the arranger.
- Oh, here's comes trouble.
- It's all right.
[speaking Spanish]
- Gracias.
No, eh?
[speaking Spanish]
[speaking Spanish]
- You see that thing he's
looking through?
See if you can find out
where he got it.
- Senor.
[speaking Spanish]
[speaking Spanish]
[anxious violin music]
[shouting in Spanish]
- [Bandit] Andale, Andale,
Andale.
- Hey look what I found, a puta.
Come on you little whore,
lemme show you--
[woman screaming]
[anxious mid tempo violin music]
- [Jeb] Follow the guide.
- Hurry up!
- [Elena] Senor!
- Come on.
[speaking Spanish]
- Nombre?
- Antonio.
- What is this?
- Glad to see you're hard
at work, Willie.
- What the hell are you
doing out here?
Who's side are you on, anyway?
- It's a long story, I'll
tell you about it later.
Can we go?
- Yeah, yeah.
- What do you do now?
- I don't know.
- And me?
- What about you?
- When will you send your
men here to pick me up?
will I have time to
pack my clothes or will
you pick me up like the
coyote do across the border?
- Just a minute.
Wait a minute, listen.
After the holidays, why don't
you get in touch with me
and I'll try to help you get
permanent resident status.
- Will you do that?
- Sure.
You tried to help me,
I'll try to help you.
- Thank you.
[knocking]
- Jeb?
It's me, Jimmy.
[faint coughing]
Hey Jeb, come on wake up.
- Hi.
- It's a beautiful day.
- Yeah?
Why don't you go out there
and enjoy it, you know?
I'll see you tomorrow.
- They told me about your
trip across the border.
It sounded like fun.
- I was pretty close to
something but I blew it.
- That's too bad.
So what now?
- Unless somebody gets a
brilliant idea,
I guess we're gonna have
to do it the hard way
and hope maybe we can find those
boot prints someplace
else sometime.
- Maybe we can improve
the odds a little.
- How's that?
- Remember those tomatoes I
found near Scooter's body?
That guy down at the
University lab
came up with something
very interesting.
They were sprayed with a
pesticide called diazinon.
Real deadly stuff,
only the biggest
commercial growers can
get a permit.
So I checked it out at
the agricultural office.
It seems nearly 1,000 people
put in for pesticide
permits last year
but only 86 used diazinon.
Hey, am I boring you or what?
Yes but
it's educating, go ahead.
- Well I just wanted to
tell you that out of the 86,
only six grow tomatoes.
- What?
Six?
- Yeah, six.
- Hey, that's a damn
fine piece of tracking.
I'm proud of you, you did well.
[speaking Spanish]
- [Border Guard] I thought
we were going home,
now he wants us to stick around.
- Boys, you all received
your assignments.
Do you know what
you're looking for?
- Yeah.
- Right.
- The guy we're looking for
is Anglo, remember that.
We'll work our way west
from the Glen Allen ranch.
Let's not waist daylight, okay?
- [Border Guard] Immigration!
Immigration!
[speaking Spanish]
- Echo One, this is Echo Four.
We got a bunch near Piper's
and we'll need a couple vans.
- Any of them Anglos?
- Negative.
- Let 'em go.
- Repeat?
- I said let 'em go, we're
only looking for Anglos.
- Jeb says spring them.
- What the hell for?
- We're only looking for Anglos.
- Then what the hell are we
doing out in a field like this?
- How the hell am I
supposed to know?
- I tell ya, this shit's
turned old Jeb's head around.
[speaking Spanish]
- What do you got here, Willie?
- I followed a group of
workers through the fields
down the road and this
is where they led me.
- How many of them are there?
- 25 or 30.
What do you wanna do, you
wanna bust 'em?
- No, I wanna check out
the ranch house first.
Hey Jimmy, if you want
a closer look go ahead.
- Oh no no, it's okay.
- We have time, go ahead.
[baby moaning]
[speaking Spanish]
- [Hotchkiss] We cut
traffic in half,
we're shipping in 2500.
That's 2,000 less than
what we were doing.
- [Carl] We need 10,000 a
month next year.
- Carl, you're getting greedy.
- La Migra is here.
- You two stay outta sight.
- What do you think they want?
- It's just routine.
- What about the
stuff in the barn?
- No, they won't even look okay?
Take it easy, relax.
- Hey look man, that guy
in the mustache.
He was in the group I
brought over the other night.
- You're crazy.
- No man, I'm sure.
- That's the head honcho
of the La Mesa station.
Get outta here.
- [Jeb] Hi Carl, how you doing?
- [Carl] Holding up, you
come to bust my gardeners?
- [Jeb] Well I did notice
you have a whole
new crew working the back
property, maybe I will.
- I don't know why you go to all
this trouble after
all these years.
You know we can't get
anyone else to do this work.
- Not for the wages you pay.
You have some more
hidden around,
maybe in the barns, the house?
- No.
- Mind if I take a look?
- Yes.
- Not very neighborly.
- [Carl] I don't think it's
very neighborly to go around
busting people who are
trying to better themselves.
- When I take them off here,
they better themselves.
I don't supposed you'll let
us have a drink of water?
- Sure, you can use the
hose like everyone else.
- This guy Richards is a
real sweetheart.
He's got these people
living in shit and he's
got the balls to act as
if he cares about them.
- He doesn't care about them,
it's the economics he
cares about.
Hey wait a minute.
Look at this.
Hey Willie.
- Oh?
- Come here.
Look at that print, it belongs
to the guy we're looking for.
Jesus, spread the men out,
see if they can spot him.
- You bet.
- Where the hell are they going?
[speaking Spanish]
- [Jeb] Never mind those two,
check with Willie
right over there.
- All right.
- What the hell's going on?
- [Jeb] I wanna have a
look in your house.
- You don't get inside the
house without a warrant.
- What's the problem, Carl?
Somebody turn in your
cleaning lady?
- [Carl] Some guys never outgrow
the need to play
cowboys and Indians.
- Don't be too harsh on
my buddy here,
he needs all the
help he can get.
I'll see you tomorrow, Carl.
- Take it easy.
- Excuse me.
- We can't afford to lay
off right now.
We've got 2,000 wets on order
by the end of the month.
Half the money is
already in with
another million due on delivery.
We have got to maintain
our credibility.
- I think it's too risky.
Maynard's on to something,
I can just feel it.
- You're overreacting.
- He's like a bulldog,
he gets something between
his teeth, he doesn't let go.
- How long would it take you
to put 2,000 wets together?
- Overnight but that's
not the problem.
It's getting them
across the border--
- We're going to do it
all in one day.
- [Carl] That's impossible.
- Nothing is impossible.
We're gonna do it Christmas
Eve and Christmas Day.
La Mesa always runs a
skeleton crew then.
The day after Christmas, the
ranch will be clean again.
- I still don't think
it can be done.
- Richards,
it will be done.
- We're making one big run
tomorrow night.
We're bringing 2,000 wets
across and we're
moving 'em off this ranch
in less than 12 hours.
- That's impossible.
- No, it isn't.
For working Christmas Eve,
you'll each receive a
bonus of $1,000.
Okay.
We're all taking the
Mother Grundy Truck Trail.
- [Border Guide] What
about La Migra's sensors?
- Arturo and I tore out the
sensors yesterday afternoon.
Now we hit the trail
at 30 minute intervals.
Arturo's load goes first.
I'll bring the last
group through.
It's imperative that
each group hit the trail
and the road at the time
designated for it to do so.
If you have any problems,
if you cannot
make it on time, ditch
your group and leg it home.
We've got no time for screw ups.
Any questions?
[anxious violin music]
[faint speaking in Spanish]
- Hi, remember me?
Huh?
We came across the
border a couple
nights ago, now you remember?
[thud, groans]
You remember me?
Remember?
You son of a bitch, I'm
gonna make you remember.
I'll freshen up your
memory damn quick.
[gurgling]
Now do you remember?
You killed a friend of mine
and a little boy
about a week ago.
Yes, and now I'm gonna kill
you, you son of a bitch.
- I didn't kill 'em,
it was Marino.
- What's his real name?
- Hotchkiss.
- Hotchkiss huh, what's
he look like?
What's he look like?
- He's a white guy.
He's got blond hair, he
killed La Migra.
- Okay listen, there's something
big coming down at that ranch.
I want you to tell me about it.
I want you to set up
Hotchkiss for me, you hear?
You hear?
- If I tell you,
I go free.
- You go free if I nail him.
- Okay.
All right.
- [Border Guard] It's Christmas
and he's got the whole
station here, wonder if
something
ain't happening tonight.
- [Jimmy] Hey Denny, Denny.
- [Border Guard] Yeah
well, we're gonna have
Christmas dinner a
little late tonight.
We gotta work tonight.
- Something's going down.
- What do you mean what time?
Of course I know what time
it is, I'm wearing a watch.
- [Willie] I know it's
Christmas Eve.
[chattering, overlapping voices]
You tell him Willie said that.
He's on his way to church
with his family.
- [Jeb] All right.
- [Border Guard] I can't
talk any longer, I gotta go.
- Boys.
I wanna remind
everybody not to be
too anxious tonight and
jump the gun.
We want to hit 'em inside
the ranch property,
which is about right here.
I also want to remind you
to check your flashlights,
Walkie-Talkies, scopes and
especially your firearms.
We might have use for
them tonight.
Any questions?
Yeah Willie, let's move in.
[anxious ensemble music]
What's it look like over there?
- My area is clean.
- There's a light on
in the barn.
- Yeah, I thought I
heard someone.
- Dave, you better
check that out.
Jimmy, you go with him.
- Right.
- Willie, you and Matt
position the men
so that the entire
area is covered.
- Right.
[anxious violin music]
- [Carl] What the hell?
- Come along, Carl.
Ooh Carl, this is quite
an operation you got here.
Really classy.
How many men were in here?
- Just those two.
- [Ab] Hey Jeb, this is Ab,
I think the first truck
just came on the property.
- Okay, we're ready
for them here
but make sure you're
not seen now.
[speaking Spanish]
- Hold it, sucker!
[anxious piano, violin music]
- Okay pal, inside.
- [Border Guard] Not
so fast amigo, come on.
[anxious violin music]
- [Border Guard] Get out
here, get going, move it!
- Come on folks, come on now.
- Vamanos.
Andale, Andale.
Andale.
[anxious trumpet music]
Vamanos.
Out this way.
Vamanos.
- [Jimmy] Where do you
think Hotchkiss is?
- [Jeb] He's supposed
to be in the last truck.
- [Border Guard] Lead
'em right through there.
- Quickly, quickly,
[speaking Spanish].
- Get in there, gettin'
busy out there.
Starting to run behind schedule.
- [Border Guard] Andale, Andale.
[anxious violin, piano music]
[anxious trumpet music]
- Okay Charlie, now this
guy's dangerous, be careful.
- Right.
- [Hotchkiss] Stop at the
house, get them in the barn.
I gotta talk to Richards,
we're running late.
[yelling in Spanish]
- Where is he?
- In the house.
- [Willie] Cuff him,
get him inside.
Jimmy, make sure
nobody gets out.
Get everybody in there, move,
move.
[machine gunfire booming]
[tense ensemble music]
[tense up tempo ensemble music]
[birds chirping]
[rustling]
[bird cawing repeatedly]
[wings flapping]
- [Jeb] End of the road.
[gunfire booming]
[anxious violin music]
[chattering]
- [Reporter] One more.
There's Lydell now.
- Wait a second.
- [Reporter] Rolling there,
this way.
One more, please.
One more.
- [Woman] Ooh, that's the
man that was in the paper.
- [Man] He's the guy.
- [Woman] I know who he is.
- [Man] It's Lydell.
- Would you like to
make a statement
regarding the trial, Mr. Lydell?
- I was never concerned because
I knew the charges
were groundless.
You have to believe in the
American system
and I'll tell you
something, the system works.
- In a month, he'll be
back in business.
- It's okay kid, so will we.
- [Photographer] Can we
have one shot?
- [Reporter] Charlie, gimme
some more slack on that cable.
Mr. Lydell sir, just
one question.
[chattering, overlapping voices]
One question, sir.
Mr. Lydell.
[relaxed ensemble music]
[relaxed ensemble music]
[up tempo ensemble music]