Mexico entered World War II in response to German attacks on Mexican ships. The "Potrero del Llano," originally an Italian tanker, had been seized in port by the Mexican government in April 1941 and renamed in honor of a region in Veracruz. It was attacked and crippled by the on May 13, 1942. The attack killed 13 of 35 crewmen. On May 20, 1942, a second tanker, "Faja de Oro," also a seized Italian ship, was attacked and sunk by the , killing 10 of 37 crewmen. In response, President Manuel Ávila Camacho and the Mexican government declared war on the Axis powers on May 22, 1942.