In this expedition two ships left Cartagena: the steamboat Fernando el Católico under the command of General Juan Contreras towards Mazarrón and Águilas on the Murcian coast, and the armored frigate Vitoria under the command of Antonio Gálvez Arce towards Alicante.
However, three days after Vitoria returned to Cartagena, the centralist authorities regained control of Alicante and put an end to the canton.
But when on July 23 the Vigilante was about to enter Cartagena, it was intercepted by the German frigate SMS Friedrich Carl, making use of the decree recently approved by the government of Nicolás Salmerón y Alonso that declared all ships flying the red flag as "cantonal pirates" (so that they could be seized by ships from any country even within waters under Spanish jurisdiction).
In addition, Commodore R. Werner, commander of the Friedrich Carl, demanded the surrender of the frigate Vitoria, which had also raised the red flag.
Finally, the Board of Cartagena delivered Vigilante to Werner but not Vitoria, which was kept safe in the port.