A career criminal nabbed by Mexican authorities is placed in a tough prison where he learns to survive with the help of a young boy.

On his way the dusty Mexican border with a loot of over $2 million hidden in the boot of his car, a getaway driver ends up in the infamous "El Pueblito" prison. As the only American inmate in the dangerous village of convicts, the driver quickly gets the nickname "The Gringo", and finds out firsthand how rough it is to be a stranger in a world of criminals.

To stay alive in this pit where everyone knows about the grand prize, the Gringo will have to form a reluctant pact with an unlikely ally: a streetwise ten-year-old kid with a peculiar immunity in this mad place. Now, with a huge target on his head and knowing that his time is short, will the Gringo manage to save himself, and get the money?