Juan Corso

Juan Corso[a] (died 1685) was a Corsican pirate and guarda costa privateer who sailed in Spanish service, operating out of Campeche and later of Cuba.

Corso an eminent privateer of his era despite of the brevity of his career, taking over 50 vessels in only five years and leading raids on French and English colonies.

[1] Though Spanish settlements were threatened primarily by French buccaneers at the time, Corso repeatedly attacked English ships as well.

[1] English officials complained throughout 1683 and 1684 to Spanish Governors in Havana and elsewhere about Corso's piracy and his increasing brutality, as well as his attack on New Providence in the Bahamas, but were rebuffed.

[8] A year later at least one of the ships he'd captured was retaken by English buccaneers and sailed into New York, where its Captain begged the government to seize it and return the vessel to its owners.