Harrison Ford reprises his role as CIA agent Jack Ryan in this adaptation of Tom Clancy's novel. When his mentor Admiral James Greer (James Earl Jones) becomes gravely ill, Ryan is appointed acting CIA Deputy Director of Intelligence. His first assignment is to investigate the murder of one of the President (Donald Moffatt)'s friends, a prominent US businessman with secret ties to Colombian drug cartels.
In the background, the CIA quietly launches an attack against a cartel which will see Ryan caught in the midst of a deadly war between both sides. The cast also includes Anne Archer, Joaquim de Almeida and Thora Birch.