The Dutch buccaneer Jan Willems, along with his compatriots Laurens de Graaf, Nicholas van Hoorn and the French pirate Michel de Grammont, on May 17, 1683, successfully raids Veracruz.

Using two captured Spanish galleons in the vanguard, he and Laurens de Graaf are able to sneak into the Spanish harbor during the early morning hours and land a small force on shore.

Van Hoorn, marching overland, joins with de Graaf and attacks the town.

The buccaneers catch the garrison off guard, many of the soldiers still sleeping, and take out the city's defenses, allowing the rest of the fleet to enter the harbor.

On the second day of plundering, the Spanish "Plate" fleet, composed of numerous warships, appears on the horizon.

Retreating with hostages to the nearby island of Los Sacrificios (the sacrificed), the pirates wait for ransoms.

Either the division of the spoils or the treatment of the hostages leads to a duel between Hoorn and de Graaf, which is fought on the shore of the island.

Van Hoorn is seriously wounded with a slash across his wrist.

Finally, giving up on further plunder, the pirates depart past the Spanish ships without hindrance.