Pancho Villa's 1916 Raid on Columbus, New Mexico: Retaliation for U.S. Support of Carranza

In 1916, Pancho Villa led a raid on Columbus, New Mexico, just across the border from his base in Chihuahua, Mexico. The raid responded to U.S. support for his rival, Venustiano Carranza. Villa's forces killed 18 Americans (civilians and soldiers) and wounded several others. The U.S. responded with a punitive expedition into Mexico led by General John J. Pershing, which failed to capture Villa. He eventually returned to Mexico.