Commodore David Porter and the Mexican Navy
COMMODORE DAVID PORTER, hero of the war with the Barbary Pirates and the War of 1812, had reached a crossroads in his career early in 1826.1He had been in commanld of a squadron sent to the West Indies to eliminate piracy. One of his officers, pursuing a pirate, landed at the port of Fajardo (Foxardo) in Puerto Rico, and was arrested and detained by the Spanish authorities. Porter, acting on his own responsibility, invaded the port and forced the authorities to apologize. Spain protested; Porter was recalled, court-martialed, and suspended for six monthsa decision which infuriated him and irritated many of his fellow Americans.2 Although the verdict was not severe, Porter felt that his career in the United States Navy had been blighted and determined to seek employment elsewhere, preferably in the Western hemisphere.