Pirate Cofresí Captured: Caribbean Order Restored
The Spanish Navy couldn't catch him for five years, but a single American schooner did it in forty minutes. Roberto Cofresí had terrorized merchant ships across Puerto Rico with his sleek sloop *El Mosquito*, stealing from the wealthy and — locals swore — sharing with the poor. When USS Grampus cornered him off Boca del Infierno on March 5, 1825, Cofresí's crew of twenty fought until their deck ran red. He was 27 years old. The authorities executed him six days later in El Morro fortress, and Puerto Ricans turned him into a folk hero within a generation. The last great Caribbean pirate wasn't ended by the age of sail disappearing — he was ended by America's new anti-piracy patrols protecting its merchant interests.
March 2, 1825
201 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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