The "Punitive Expedition" against Pancho Villa was a U.S. military campaign that began March 14, 1916, in an attempt to capture the Mexican revolutionary leader. After Villa attacked the village of Columbus, New Mexico, the U.S. government authorized a military expedition of 10,000 soldiers that entered through the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. Over 11 months, the troops failed in their objective. Though their goal was the capture of Villa, the U.S. military also fought Mexican constitutional forces, which strained diplomatic relations and nearly sparked the formal outbreak of a war.