The Falklands Expedition occurred in late 1831 when the United States Navy warship USS Lexington was dispatched to investigate the seizure of three whalers at the small Argentine settlement of Puerto Luis. Founded in the ruins of the former Spanish penal colony of Puerto Soledad by Luis Vernet, the settlement sought to control sealing in the islands. Finding one of the ships being outfitted with guns, Captain Duncan seized six of the senior officers in the settlement on charges of piracy.