A devastating explosion rocks the plaza of the Colombian Consulate building in Los Angeles, claiming the lives of nine individuals, including a caravan of Colombian officials and American intelligence agents. Tragically, among those civilian casualties are Gordy Brewer's (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) wife and son. Gordy himself is injured while arriving to pick up his family. In the aftermath, a chilling tape reaches the U.S. State Department, featuring a masked individual who identifies himself as "El Lobo" (The Wolf). He boldly claims responsibility for the bombing, citing it as a reaction to America's oppression of Colombia.
The FBI suspects that El Lobo is actually a Colombian terrorist by the name of Claudio Perrini (portrayed by Cliff Curtis). In a tense political climate, CIA Special Agent Peter Brandt (played by Elias Koteas), faces severe consequences for the incident from a Senate Oversight Committee, which promptly halts all CIA operations in Colombia. Frustrated and determined, Brandt returns to Mompós, collaborating with paramilitary allies to strategize a significant offensive against Claudio and his guerrilla forces.
Meanwhile, overwhelmed by bureaucratic obstacles hindering the investigation, Brewer ventures to Mompós in a personal quest to locate Claudio. However, he is swiftly arrested for entering the country illegally. During a daring prison escape, guerrillas break their comrades out and attempt to abduct Brewer for ransom. Brandt's unit is alerted to Brewer's predicament, but they arrive too late to thwart the rescue operation. In a stroke of luck, Brewer manages to escape and not only evades capture but also receives a guerrilla zone pass thanks to Sean Armstrong (played by John Turturro), a Canadian mechanic who provides intel about Felix Ramirez (the drug runner played by John Leguizamo), who operates the cocaine distribution facility financing the guerrillas.
Disguising himself as a mechanic there to fix a generator, Brewer ingeniously constructs several explosives and obliterates the drug plant. Following this, Felix is blamed for the devastation and meets a grim fate right before Brewer's eyes. Infiltrating Claudio's headquarters, Brewer plants a bomb aimed to assassinate him but is captured while trying to save a woman, later revealed to be Selena (portrayed by Francesca Neri), Claudio's wife. In a poignant moment, Selena, sharing Brewer's pain of loss, divulges that Claudio is plotting another attack in Washington, D.C.
With urgency mounting, Brandt's team identifies Claudio's hideout and launches an assault. During the chaotic firefight, Selena aids Brewer in escaping, and the trio travels back to the State Department to assist in the ongoing manhunt for Claudio. Selena realizes that Union Station is the target, prompting the FBI to investigate immediately. However, while pretending to use the restroom, she becomes frustrated when her adopted son Mauro does not join her. Brewer is suddenly struck by a realization that draws connections between Selena's actions and those of El Lobo from the video tape, uncovering that she is the true Wolf.
As tensions rise, Brewer deduces that the real target may not be Union Station but the State Department itself. In a split second decision, he hurls Mauro's toy dinosaur—rigged with a bomb—out the window just before it detonates. In the ensuing chaos, Brandt bravely confronts Selena in an elevator but is tragically shot in the process of trying to prevent her escape.
In a nail-biting chase, Brewer races after Selena, who is escaping with Claudio through underground tunnels on a motorcycle. Brewer arrives at the tunnel's control console and seals the gates, thwarting their attempt to flee. He then sabotages the gas lines, and an explosive encounter ensues. As a fierce battle unfolds, Selena is electrocuted after a confrontation with Brewer, while Claudio meets his end when Brewer throws an axe into his chest. Brewer carries Mauro out of the wreckage, a poignant image of hope amidst devastation.
The film concludes with a voiceover from a newscast announcing that Brewer will be honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for foiling a plot that could have resulted in one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in U.S. history.
