Bandits, Spies, Mercenaries or Traitors? The Counter- guerrilla of Manuel Domínguez and the Mexican American War (1847-1848)

In the midst of the war between the United States and Mexico (1846-1848) a group of Mexicans from the state of Puebla began to work for the American army as spies, couriers and fighters. The group operated under the leadership of Puebla’s famous robber Manuel Domínguez, “El Chato, ” and consisted of about 200 men most of whom were also former bandits. Given the collaborationist nature of Dominguez’s counter-guerrilla it comes as no surprise that the band made it into Mexican historical memory simply as criminals and traitors, unnatural Mexicans who betrayed their homeland in its darkest hour. In spite of the fact that the counter-guerrilla was a bandits’ organization, their actions only minimally resemble Eric Hobsbawm’s classic “social banditry. ” But Domínguez’s group does not to fit neatly into the alternative model of individualistic, profit-driven brigands either. Regardless of their differences, these conceptualizations of banditry coincide in denying it a political role. I argue, however, that the decision of the individuals involved to participate in the war enrolling in Domínguez’s band can be seen as a political act in the following ways: first, because it was anchored in a desire to exercise power to influence their lives and the lives of others; second, because it was an act of public vengeance; and third because it was an act of protest. Based on new archival research, this paper offers a fresh look at the fascinating and seldom told story of Domínguez’s counter-guerrilla, one that challenges the traditional condemnatory view and brings forth its political dimension