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**Ricardo Díaz** is a character in the *Grand Theft Auto* series who appears as a main character and the tertiary antagonist in *Grand Theft Auto: Vice City* and a main character in *Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories*.

Diaz is the leader of his own drug cartel and, by 1986, is the drug baron of Vice City.

## Background

Ricardo Diaz was born in Colombia on 1942 and moved to the United States in 1978, bribing the INS for a green card, before moving to Vice City in the early 1980s.

## Events of *GTA Vice City Stories*

Diaz invests money into a mansion on the expensive Starfish Island and, whilst his home is partially built, meets and befriends Lance and Victor Vance. He has them steal a drugs shipment of Juan Cortez, under the supervision of Gonzalez, which Vic does successfully. Following his success, Diaz decides to employ Vic more work and has him go to a meeting with the DEA,
 which is ambushed by Gonzalez and his crew, although Vic manages to
kill Gonzalez' men and make the deal with the DEA, securing Diaz gets a
large supply of heavy duty guns. Diaz becomes aware that Gonzalez has
betrayed Colonel Juan Cortez and explains to Gonzalez that he will inform him of all of Cortez' drug deals, with Diaz ordering Victor to drive Gonzalez to the airport.

Lance Vance then borrows money from Diaz and has his brother work to repay the debt, with Diaz having Vic destroy Armando Mendez' bearer bonds using a Domestobot, before having him steal an attack helicopter from the Fort Baxter Air Base in order to attack the Mendez Compound in Downtown, Vice City. Having been successful in stealing the helicopter, Vic attacks the Mendez Compound on Diaz' orders and kills both Diego Mendez and Jerry Martinez. Following this, Vic and Lance decide to leave Vice City.

## Events of *GTA Vice City*

Sometime in between 1984 and 1986, Diaz establishes himself as the
drug baron of Vice City and finishes the building of his mansion. His
drug habit continues and he has become far more paranoid. Diaz sets up a
 number of foundations across Vice City and Latin America, although the Vice City Police Department
 believe them to be a front, whilst they also suspect him of eighteen
murders. Diaz has also established a protection racket in the city.
Diaz, continuing to use information from Gonzalez, has a drug deal
between the Forelli Family and the Vance Crime Family ambushed, stealing both the drugs and money.

He later appears at one of Juan Cortez' parties, which was also attended by Forelli representative Tommy Vercetti. Cortez begins to investigate the deal and discovers Gonzalez' involvement and has him killed. Cortez openly suggests that Diaz may have been involved, but does not accuse him.

Cortez does employ Vercetti and Lance Vance to protect him in a deal with the Cubans from Haitians, which results in Diaz hiring the two for other jobs. Diaz first has the two deal with the Sharks, who have been stealing three percent of his profits, first following a gang member to an abandoned home and then attacking the home, killing a number of the gangs members. Later, Diaz has the two steal the fastest boat in the city and then use the boat to purchase drugs from a dealer, before escaping the other potential buyers.

## Mission Appearances

GTA Vice City
* The Party
* Guardian Angels
* The Chase (Boss)
* Phnom Penh '86 (Boss)
* The Fastest Boat (Boss)
* Supply & Demand (Boss)
* Death Row (Betrayal/Unseen)

GTA Vice City Stories
* Steal the Deal (Boss)
* The Exchange (Boss)
* Farewell to Arms
* Domo Arigato Domestoboto (Boss)
* Light My Pyre (Post-mission pager message)
* Over The Top (Boss)
* Last Stand (Boss)

## Ricardo Diaz

### Aliases

Diaz's Gang,Victor Vance,Lance Vance,Gonzalez,Juan Cortez,Tommy Vercetti,

### Relatives

Victor Vance,Lance Vance,Gonzalez,Juan Cortez,Tommy Vercetti,