Function of the Border during the Revolution

The fuction of the border during the revolution was very different from that of other regions of Mexico.

First, here was the disputed place where the revolutionaries got information about their enemies. Also, here was where the impounded goods were sold or exchanged for weapons or ammunition.

The three most important ports in Sonora were then with railroad communication: Nogales, where the production from further South in Sonora and Mexico was exported; Naco, where the production of Cananea was exported; and Agua Prieta, where those of Nacozari were also exported.

However, and even though these ports were so necessary for the revolutionaries, their closeness to US territory forced that in them no great battles could take place. Their control was always determined by agreements among the revolutionary factions (some of these under the mediation and even the intervention of the US), who employed different tactics to force the sonoran revolutionaries to abide by them.

And if we see the revolutionary process from a more general strategic perspective, we will see that the Chihuahuan border was controlled by Francisco Villa. Sonora, on the other side, saw conflicts in the border among the different revolutionary factions (Maytorena and Carranza), for it´s control. In this manner, Nogales was kept under Maytorena hands, and wasn´t used as a border crossing point for weapons; while Agua Prieta and Naco were kept by the Callistas (followers of Elías Calles), and were used to sell mine production and buying weapons and ammunition. In other words, Maytorena, allied of Villa, blocked the acquisition of weapons for the Constitutionalists in Sonora.

The different factions of the revolutionaries established consulates in the United States population centers, and associated with them there was a complex of spy networks.

In Nogales, Arizona, after the murder of Madero, there were two consulates: Villa´s consul was Gaston Ramirez, while Carranza´s consul was P. B. Torres, while in Douglas the Carranza consul was Yves G. Lelevier. Victoria Lerner has written:

"These consulates also had people working for them in the Mexican side of the border. The advantages of the consulates consisted in that:

1. They had access to the telegraph, through which they could inform about the news and happenings.
2. They were located near the main conflict points ...
3. They, and their spies, worked with the collaboration with detectives from the US Justice Department to obstruct mexican conspirators"

These consulates also had people working inside the enemy consulates, to get information.

And Lerner adds: "There were even women spies working as messengers and collaborators, which had immigrated into the US and transformed into fighting women, ready to undertake corageous and even temerary acts to support the revolutionary actions of their friends, lovers, chiefs, protectors, etc. "

In Nogales, for instance, the role played by Ernestina Agüero was very important to favour of the Obregonistas, thanks to the fact that her father in law, Gabriel Corella (who had married her mother, Rosalia O vda. de Agüero), was also "compadre" of Obregon.

The financing of the sonoran revolutionaries was through two channels: on one side, impoundments and taxation of the agricultural and cattle production of sonorenses; also, through. the taxation of mining activity.

In short, the mexican revolution in the border was different from other regions of central Mexico, because it wasn´t defined through great battles, but through occupations which almost always were peaceful, while the real conflict was undertaken ocult, furtively, either through occult agreements to control the supply networks, through obtaining information about the enemies, establishing contacts to sell impounded goods, or the contraband of weapons and ammunition.

Causes of the Revolution	Stages of the Revolution