Colonel Felix Cortez is one of the two main antagonists (along with Ernesto Escobedo) in the 1994 movie Clear and Present Danger.
He was portrayed by Joaquim de Almeida, who also played Bucho in Desperado, Ramon Salazar in 24, Hernan Reyes in the Fast and Furious franchise, and Jean Foucher in The Hitman's Bodyguard. He also voiced Bane in the animated series The Batman, and Hector Lopez in Saints Row.
History
Cortez is first seen with his boss as a former intelligence analyst for Cuba who now serves the same function for drug kingpin Ernesto Escobedo. He is also aided by an unwitting American contact, Moira Wolfson, who has been seduced by the charming Cortez.
Using intelligence supplied by Moira, Cortez stages a destructive (and successful) assassination plot on FBI director Emil Jacobs' convoy, then kills Moira to cover his tracks and tie up lose ends. However Escobedo wasn't aware of his plot and is left to take the blame as evidenced by a secret phone claiming that he was going insane by Cortez. Cortez later plans a meeting with National Security Advisor James Cutter, telling him that they have 2 things in common that neither of them can diplomate policy without at least authorization from their employers and that they both know that there are American troops in Columbia fighting an illegal war.
Later in the meeting he makes a deal he will overthrow Escobedo and take over his drug cartel; and then reduce drug shipments to the U.S. and allow American law enforcement to make several big arrests in order to make the U.S. government appear to be winning the war on drugs with no more violence. In exchange, Cutter will give maps to Cortez of John Clark's solders, cut off their communications and shut down all operations in Colombia and allow Cortez to capture and kill the soldiers blowing up all operations.
When Ryan hears about this, Ryan arranges to meet with Escobedo and exposes Cortez, but Escobedo is backstabbed and killed in the resulting firefight by one of Cortez's henchman who is killed by a sniper. Eventually this leads to a confrontation in a wood shed with Ryan who knocks him out and is dumped on by wood. Ryan flees to the roof and regroups with the captured and tortured soldiers as they fly away in a helicopter; Cortez tries to follow and is gunned down when he opens fire on the chopper.
Trivia
- In the novel, Cortez is portrayed somewhat more sympathetically: he does not kill Moira (she attempts to commit a suicide when she learns that she is indirectly responsible for the death of Jacobs and more people, but is saved), and feels remorse for seducing her.
- In the novel, Cortez is not killed (nor is his employer Escobedo). In the last scene, he is taken back to Cuba, where he has been branded as a traitor by his former DGI colleagues; it is unknown what has become of him.
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