In 1831, Luis Vernet with his newly created authority, used the services of a Captain Brisbane in the ship "Betsy" to capture three US vessels ("Breakwater", "Superior" and "Harriet") that were hunting seals in Falklands waters. The "Breakwater" escaped but the catch of the other two ships was confiscated and their crews were arrested. Vernet returned to the mainland, bringing senior officers of the US vessels to stand trial for violating restrictions on seal hunting. The US consul protested violently against the seizure of US ships and the USS "Lexington" sailed to the Falklands. The log of the "Lexington" reports only the destruction of arms and a powder store, though in his claim against the US government for compensation (rejected by the US government of President Grover Cleveland in 1885) Vernet stated that the settlement was destroyed. The islands were declared free from all government, the seven senior members of the settlement were arrested for piracy and taken to Montevideo, where they were released without charge on the orders of Commodore Rogers.