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Action of 2 March 1825

Capture of the Anne
Part of West Indies Anti-Piracy Operations, Piracy in the Caribbean
Capture of the El Mosquito.jpg
Una Goleta de Guerra Persigue un Barco Pirata, the artwork used to depict the event in Paul G. Miller's Historia de Puerto Rico (1922).
Date March 2, 1825
Location Caribbean Sea; within the seaward boundaries of the municipalities of Salinas and Guayama
Result Anne is disabled; pirates flee ashore
Belligerents
United States United States
Spain Spanish Empire
 Denmark
Roberto Cofresí's Pirates
Commanders and leaders
John D. Sloat
Tomás Renovales
Garrett J. Pendergrast
Juan Bautista Pierety
Salvador Pastoriza
Roberto Cofresí
Strength
United States:
1 schooner
140 sailors and
marine infantry
Spain/Denmark:
3 sloops
sailors and
marine infantry
Support:
1 frigate
sailors and
marine infantry
3 sloops
1 schooner
At least a dozen armed pirates on the flagship
Casualties and losses
~2 wounded
1 sloop damaged
~3 killed
6 wounded
1 sloop captured

The Capture of the Anne was the result of a naval campaign carried out by an alliance between the Spanish Empire forces in Puerto Rico, the Danish government in Saint Thomas and the United States Navy that pursued Roberto Cofresí's pirate flotilla in March 1825. The campaign was instigated by economic losses suffered by all of the parties involved due to the pirates' actions, as well as diplomatic concerns caused by their use of the flags of Spain and Gran Colombia which menaced the fragile peace between the naval powers. There were additional personal motivations by several of those involved, who had been directly attacked by the freebooters themselves. Among the diplomatic concerns caused by Cofresí was a robbery carried out by several of his subordinates, which in turn served as the catalyst behind an incident that threatened war between Spain and the United States known as "The Foxardo Affair", eventually leading to the resignation of his rival, pirate hunter David Porter.

Sailing under the authorization of the Danish West Indies, the coalition employed two local ships, including a former victim of the pirates named San José y las Animas, and the USS Grampus of the West Indies Squadron. A ship from Gran Colombia, named La Invencible, also provided support during the initial stages. The final naval engagement took place on March 2, 1825, and began with a trap set at Boca del Infierno, a passage off Jobos Bay, Puerto Rico. The flagship of Cofresí's flotilla, the sloop Anne (otherwise known as Ana or El Mosquito), was baited by the set up. Unable to effectively counter the surprise attack and outnumbered, the pirates abandoned the ship and escaped to shore, where they were later captured by Puerto Rican authorities and placed on military trial. With the subsequent execution of Cofresí, the West Indies Anti-Piracy Operations were considered a success and he came to be known as "the last of the West India pirates".


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