Thomas Jefferson Geronimo III is the deputy-sheriff of a small Texas town. One night, two Italian brothers, the Palermos, murder the town sheriff, and close friend, prompting him to pursue them. The chase leads him across the border into Mexico, where he kills one of the brothers and captures the other to bring back to the United States for trial. The surviving brother vows revenge against Geronimo. However, it is decided that the criminal will be handed over to the Italian authorities, and Geronimo is tasked with escorting him. However, the plane is sabotaged and is forced to land in Malta. There the remaining Palermo brother escapes when Geronimo is ambushed by gangsters.