Los Desperados

Updated 2 November 2026 · Fan site. Not affiliated with Rockstar Games or Take-Two Interactive.

Los Desperados is one of the last story missions in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004), given by Sweet after the Los Santos riots begin. CJ joins Cesar Vialpando and the Varrios Los Aztecas in a street battle to win El Corona back from the Vagos. It is the final job before End of the Line, which only opens once Grove Street holds enough territory.

What happens in Los Desperados?

By this point CJ is back in Los Santos, Sweet is free, and the city is burning after Frank Tenpenny's case falls apart. Cesar asks for help. His gang, the Varrios Los Aztecas, want El Corona back from the Los Santos Vagos, and CJ owes him for years of loyalty.

CJ can pick up some Grove Street members before heading to Unity Station, where Cesar waits with three Aztecas named Sunny, Hazer and Gal. From there the group pushes block by block into Vagos turf. The enemy sends wave after wave, and some carry flamethrowers and rocket launchers, so the fight is far tougher than an ordinary turf war. Hazer is hurt along the way. When the last wave falls, the Aztecas hold their neighbourhood again.

Who gives Los Desperados and what does it unlock?

Sweet gives it from his house in Ganton once the mission Riot is done, according to the GTA Wiki. The reward is respect only. Its key effect is opening End of the Line, the final mission, but the GTA Wiki adds a condition: the Families must control at least 19 territories in Los Santos, a little over a third of the map. Players who have skipped gang wars after returning to the city often hit this wall and must go out and take turf first.

How do you fail the mission?

The GTA Wiki lists four routes to failure: CJ dying, CJ being arrested, or the death of any of Cesar, Sunny, Hazer or Gal. Because the allies have to survive, it pays to stay near them and kill the gunners with heavy weapons first.

Tips for Los Desperados

Bring body armour and plenty of ammunition, and recruit Grove members before the meeting if you want extra guns on your side. The GTA Wiki notes that a parked Glendale used as cover cannot be destroyed, which makes it a safe place to fight from. Remember the territory rule before you start, so the final mission is ready as soon as this one ends.

What does the name mean?

The title is Spanish for "the desperate ones" or "the desperados", a nod to the Aztecas' last-ditch fight for their home turf. It also suits the mood of the riot missions, with every gang in Los Santos fighting while the police lose control.

Where does the mission fit in the story?

Los Desperados repays a long thread. Cesar has backed CJ since the lowrider jobs and the exile in the countryside, and here CJ returns the favour. Right after, the story moves to the reckoning with Big Smoke in End of the Line. For the wider arc, see our San Andreas missions page.