During his absence the governorship was chaotically shared among rival pro-Cortés and anti-Cortés factions in the treasury.
Eventually rumors arrived in Mexico City and in Spain that Cortés had died along the way to Honduras.
King Charles I ordered a juicio de residencia (a commission of inquiry) to investigate Cortés and ascertain the true situation in the colony, and the state of the interim government.
To carry out these orders, Charles named Luis Ponce de León as judge of the residencia and governor of New Spain, at an annual salary of 3,000 ducats of gold.
Before his death he turned over his functions to Marcos de Aguilar, his assistant who had accompanied him to the colony.