The year is 1864.

A violent civil war in Mexico that began six years earlier has evolved into something

more complex, the Franco-Mexican War.

Napoleon III has invaded the country,

capitalizing on its loss of military strength, hoping to not only extract payment for unpaid war loans made to the Mexican government, but also to colonize the nation and expand the French

empire into Central America. Having defaulted on their European debts,

facing a continuing conflict with both the Mexican Conservatives and now the invading French army,

Mexican President Juarez's coffers have been entirely depleted by the war effort.

Unable to garner support from the United States, who is similarly engaged in their own Civil War,

in desperate need of rifles and ammunition, President Juarez quickly gathered donations,

gold, silver, jewels, and other precious items from his fellow Mexican patriots.

The treasure amounted to a sum of $619,000 U.S US dollars, which today would amount to over 22 million.

The plan was to deliver this war chest to San Francisco, where it would be exchanged with the Union Army for the much-needed weapons to continue the fight for Mexican independence.

However, the treasure would never reach its destination. It was buried,

and one by one, all of the men who transported it, wound up dead. Quite bizarrely, from the moment

it began its journey from Mexico to San Francisco, it would seem that every man that has ever

handled this war treasure or has simply sought to find where it was last buried,

they have all died, often a sudden and painful death.

Some might call that a coincidence, but what is a coincidence except a word for something we cannot explain?

Others call it a curse.

This is the story of the cursed treasure of Cahuanga Pass.

I'm Luke Lamanah, and this is wartime stories.

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