The Green Sabre: The Ultimate Betrayal & Ambush Guide

"Look at the car, Carl. Look at the car! It's the Green Sabre... the car that drove by your mother's house." - Cesar Vialpando

The Green Sabre is the dramatic turning point of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Just as Grove Street Families appear ready to reclaim Los Santos under Sweet's leadership, a sudden phone call from Cesar Vialpando uncovers an unbearable truth: Big Smoke and Ryder have allied with Officer Frank Tenpenny and the Ballas.

Realizing that Sweet is walking straight into a coordinated massacre at the Mulholland Intersection, CJ must abandon Cesar's surveillance post, race through heavy downtown traffic, and stand as the lone protector against waves of heavily armed Ballas gangsters before the police arrive to change Carl's destiny forever.

Mission Briefing and Context

• Mission Giver: Sweet / Phone call from Cesar Vialpando
• Locations: Verdant Bluffs underpass & Mulholland Intersection, Los Santos
• Target Difficulty: Hard
• Reward: Access to Badlands (Angel Pine countryside chapter)
• Required Loadout: 100% Body Armor, AK-47 or M4 Rifle, Combat Shotgun or Sawn-off, SMG.

The Story Behind the Betrayal

Throughout the early Los Santos chapters, subtle clues hint at trouble: Big Smoke living outside Grove Street in Ballas territory (Idlewood), strange Russian mafia meetings, and Smoke's refusal to fire during drive-bys. In this mission, the full conspiracy is revealed. The green Sabre that executed the drive-by on CJ's mother Beverly Johnson was provided directly by Tenpenny's C.R.A.S.H. unit with Big Smoke's blessing.

Step-by-Step Tactical Walkthrough

Phase 1: Meeting Cesar at the Alleyway Underpass

Answer the ringing cell phone from Cesar. He pleads with CJ to meet him immediately beneath the freeway in Verdant Bluffs:

1. Grab a fast vehicle outside Sweet's house and follow the blue blip on your radar south toward the train tracks.
2. Enter the marked alley beneath the freeway and get into Cesar's tinted car.
3. Watch the iconic cinematic where garage doors open to reveal Tenpenny, Pulaski, Big Smoke, and Ryder standing over the fateful Green Sabre.
4. Realizing Sweet is walking into an ambush, CJ hits the gas to reach Mulholland Intersection before Sweet's crew is wiped out.

Phase 2: The Race to Mulholland Intersection

You are given a strict time window to reach the highway intersection:

• Sweet has a visible health bar that drains slowly as his small Grove Street squad trades fire with entrenched Ballas forces.
• Take the highway on-ramp and stay on the median strip to avoid colliding with civilian traffic.
• Pull up to the beneath-the-overpass courtyard where Sweet lies wounded against the Greenwood.

Phase 3: Defending Wounded Sweet (Combat Breakdown)

This is one of the most intense gunfights in Act 1. You will face four distinct waves of Ballas vehicles:

1. Initial Foot Soldiers: Upon arrival, six Ballas gangsters are firing at Sweet. Pull out your AK-47 or M4 rifle and eliminate them with headshots from behind cover.
2. Wave 1 (Two Ballas Sedans): Two purple Voodoos arrive from the north. Aim directly at the fuel caps or front engines to blow up the cars before the occupants can exit.
3. Wave 2 (Flanking Squad): Enemies appear from the pedestrian stairs and the overhead ramp. Use your Combat Shotgun to clear close-quarters flankers while keeping an eye on Sweet's health gauge.
4. Wave 3 (The Van and Reinforcements): A heavy van arrives carrying armed Ballas with automatic Micro-UZIs. Throw grenades or satchel charges at the vehicle as it stops.
5. Wave 4 (Final Rush): Clear out the remaining stragglers. Once the final Ballas gangster drops, the mission combat phase concludes.

Phase 4: The Arrest and Exile to Angel Pine

Dozens of LSPD police cruisers and tactical helicopters flood the intersection. Carl drops his weapons and raises his hands to protect his wounded brother. The police arrest Sweet and haul him to a prison medical ward.

Instead of going to jail, CJ wakes up in the backseat of Tenpenny and Pulaski's police cruiser in the foggy countryside town of Angel Pine at the base of Mount Chiliad. Tenpenny explains that CJ now works for C.R.A.S.H. under threat of Sweet being executed inside prison. This marks the start of the Badlands countryside act.

Video Walkthrough: The Green Sabre

Frequently Asked Questions