Viva Max!

Brigadier General Maximilian Rodrigues de Santos arrives at a United States border crossing on a white horse, leading a small company of soldiers on foot. He claims they are marching to Laredo for a George Washington's birthday parade, but his real aim is to re-occupy the Alamo in San Antonio. His loyal sergeant Valdez keeps the troops in line.

Max disguises himself in an ill-fitting tourist suit and goes ahead to tour the Alamo. He returns to his men and they race through San Antonio to seize control of the fort, taking Paula and two other Americans prisoner. The operation is swift and leaves the defenders unprepared.

Max places a call to local authorities declaring that the Mexican flag now flies over the Alamo. His bold claim is intended to solidify the seizure and intimidate the city’s officials. The moment marks the start of a tense standoff.

Police Chief Sylvester doubts Max at first, but soon realizes he is a real Army general and that the background claims may be true. He goes to the Alamo to meet Max in person, using the passwords 'John Wayne' and 'Richard Widmark' to gain entry. The exchange sets the stage for a high-stakes negotiation.

Sylvester calls the Pentagon to report the fort back under Mexico's control and to seek guidance. The chain of command is tested as the incident unfolds on U.S. soil. Max's bluff is reinforced by bureaucratic inertia and slow responses.

Sylvester turns to Billy Joe Hallson, a brigadier general of the state National Guard, whose day job is running a mattress store, to negotiate with Max. Max remains unimpressed by Hallson's credentials and authority. The standoff continues with neither side backing down.

A low-level bureaucrat from Washington mocks Max and suggests backing away quietly, which Max rejects. In response to the snub, Max declares he will hold the Alamo for thirteen days. The countdown becomes a symbol of his stubborn resolve.

Paula, originally sympathetic to Max, learns he aims to ‘revolutionize’ for his own purposes. Max admits his motive is to impress his girlfriend, who had challenged the idea that his men would follow him into a brothel, and that his troops obey mainly because Valdez enforces obedience.

Three-star General Lacomber arrives to take charge of the situation. A company of his men scales the wall and enters the fort without ammunition, as do Max's men, to avoid bloodshed. The ruse succeeds and the defenders surrender under Max's bluff.

Max celebrates with a Mexican hat dance inside the fort. Paula confronts him again, explaining the soldiers only follow because Valdez enforces obedience, and Max is clearly disheartened by the revelation. The moment shifts the mood from celebration to doubt.

A private anti-communist militia arrives just as Max is surrendering to Lacomber. Their leader, whose aunt is one of the hostages, shoots Max in the shoulder. The act disrupts the surrender and intensifies the crisis.

Max orders his unarmed men to attack the armed militia, and they oblige. The militia flees as their leader is arrested, freeing the fort from immediate danger. The act demonstrates a fragile loyalty among Max's troops.

Max tells U.S. authorities that he intends to advance to Mexico. Satisfied with his stated objective, Sylvester, Lacomber, and Hallson allow him to depart. The political theater reaches its denouement as the incident winds down.

Max rides away on his horse with his men chanting 'Viva Max!' and exits San Antonio, effectively ending the dramatic siege with a theatrical victory rather than a real conquest.