▁with ▁box ing ▁ab ilities ▁mirror ing ▁his ▁late ▁father ' s . ▁He ▁could ▁perhaps ▁be ▁good ▁if ▁he ▁learned ▁to ▁think ▁along ▁with ▁his ▁p um mel ing . ▁Despite ▁all ▁of ▁this , ▁H ector ▁is ▁a ▁hard ▁worker ▁on ▁a ▁Texas ▁farm ▁who ▁does ▁what ▁he ▁can ▁to ▁provide ▁for ▁his ▁a iling ▁mother ▁which ▁includes ▁pulling ▁in ▁a ▁few ▁side ▁dollars ▁from ▁small - time , ▁illegal ▁g amb ling ▁f ights . ▁ ▁T ito , ▁a ▁" co y ote " ▁( a ▁person ▁who ▁helps ▁sm ug gle ▁people ▁across ▁the ▁border ) ▁sp ends ▁his ▁days ▁as ▁a ▁s nake ▁catch er ▁but ▁at ▁night , ▁helps ▁sm ug gle ▁imm igr ants ▁across ▁the ▁border . ▁After ▁winning ▁a ▁fight ▁in ▁a ▁local ▁mechan ic ' s ▁gar age , ▁H ector ▁tries ▁to ▁get ▁another ▁fight ▁but ▁the ▁entertain ment ▁is ▁interrupted ▁by ▁T ito ▁who ▁sc olds ▁both ▁H ector ▁and ▁the ▁owner ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁T ito ▁could ▁ ▁get ▁into ▁more ▁trouble ▁for ▁illegal ▁g amb ling ▁f ights ▁as ▁if ▁sm ugg ling ▁il leg als ▁across ▁the ▁border ▁isn ' t ▁enough . ▁ ▁Cor ral led , ▁H ector ▁goes ▁to ▁change ▁but ▁is ▁followed ▁in ▁by ▁another ▁illegal ; ▁Maria . ▁It ▁soon ▁becomes ▁known ▁that ▁they ▁grew ▁up ▁together ▁as ▁k ids ▁and ▁it ▁also ▁becomes ▁apparent ▁that ▁H ector ▁dis lik es ▁her ▁( most ly ▁because ▁of ▁her ▁sar cast