 Cadena was the basis for the 1992 movie "American Me", in which, Montoya Santana, a character based upon Cadena, was portrayed by Edward James Olmos.The Mexican Mafia, however, was enraged by certain parts of the movie,
especially the portrayal of Santana being raped and a climax in which Santana is murdered by his own followers.Two of Olmos' consultants were subsequently killed and a plot to extort the director was uncovered.