 He and Governor Juan María Vicencio de Ripperdá rejected the petition of Antonio Gil Y'Barbo that the settlers could return to their original homes.To strengthen the protection of Nueva Vizcaya, Coahuila, Sonora, Mexico he decided to expel the Apaches in the region, making war against these peoples in 1775 and 1776, killing a large number.The Apaches who survived fled to more western areas.