On 19 November 1911, General Luis Tejera led a group of conspirators in an ambush on the horse-drawn carriage of President Ramón Cáceres.

The small American force that monitored the frontier to combat smuggling also withdrew, handing over responsibility for border defence to the Dominican Army.

General Arias's forces seized the customs houses and extorted loans from the peasants and plantation owners in the districts they controlled.

[4] Towards the end of September, the President of the United States, William Howard Taft, sent a commission to investigate options for obtaining peace.

The American commission reported on 13 November that the military's self-interest and the rebels' confidence precluded any mutual agreement to end the fighting.

The United States further threatened to transfer formal recognition to the rebels and cede all the 45% of customs revenues to them unless President Victoria resigned.

American official met with the rebel leader, Vásquez, and Archbishop of Santo Domingo Adolfo Alejandro Nouel was appointed interim president on 30 November.