Julio Cárdenas was a captain in Pancho Villa's army during the Mexican Revolution. After Villa's raid in Columbus, New Mexico, Cárdenas took three prisoners and attempted to kill them by firing squad, but the execution was called off by Villa himself in the last minute. One of these prisoners was Indiana Jones.
He and two of his men were killed by Lieutenant George S. Patton during a gunfight in a cantina in Rubio, Mexico, in 1916. Patton put then their corpses in a military car and carried them to General Pershing's headquarters.
Behind the scenes
- Julio Cárdenas was played by Spanish actor Antonio Valero in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.
- The real Julio Cárdenas was called "General" by his men despite being only a captain. He lead Pancho Villa's bodyguards, the Dorados ("Golden ones").
- The scene of his assassination in the TV series is based on reality but there are some important differences. For example, Patton did not carry the mission alone, but with ten men under his command, and the assassination took place in a ranch named San Miguelito instead of a cantina.
Appearances
- The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles – "Young Indiana Jones and the Curse of the Jackal" → Spring Break Adventure
- South of the Border
