In the American Southwest, Bob Valdez, a Mexican-American town constable, is forced to kill an innocent African American man wrongly accused of murder. Wracked with guilt over the wrongful killing, Valdez seeks reparations from the powerful land baron Frank Tanner, whose men initiated the chain of events leading to the tragedy. Tanner dismisses Valdez's appeal for help with contempt and instructs his henchmen to humiliate the aging lawman, tying him to a wooden cross and leaving him to die in the desert.

Surviving the ordeal and driven by a thirst for justice, Valdez arms himself and sets out alone against Tanner and his gang. His experience as a seasoned cavalryman proves invaluable as he employs guerrilla tactics to systematically dismantle Tanner's men. Amidst this brutal quest, Valdez also discovers sympathizers among the townsfolk who quietly oppose Tanner’s tyranny. With unwavering determination, Valdez becomes an unstoppable force, his pursuit becoming a symbol of resistance and righteousness in a land plagued by lawlessness and abuse of power.