In October 1617, in spite of continuous anti-piratic activities by the Spanish navy, Viceroy of Naples, Pedro Téllez-Girón, Duke of Osuna learned about new Ottoman and Barbary pirates, leading him to order a raid against the nearby state of the Ottoman Tunis, an usual center of Muslim piracy.

The attack fell on Ottavio d'Aragona, a veteran in Osuna's service who had already carried on a raid on Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Empire.

Osuna ordered him to "burn and put to the sword all kinds of privateers he found" (abrasar y pasar a cuchillo todo género de corsarios que hallasen).

[1] Ottavio received command of six galleys, among them the flagship of Naples, La Negra, along with one galleon, one patache and three naos.

The Duke of Osuna had the Pasha treated as a guest, allowing him to return to Constantinople with fifteen slaves in order to collect his ransom, while leaving his teenage son as a hostage.