In 1920–21, he was, in his own (attributed) words "mixed up in Mexico" towards the end of the revolution there. Subsequently, he was involved in gun-running in Nicaragua, where he served under General Sandino. In Nicaragua, he outfitted a ship with sandbagged Lewis gun "emplacements in case of a surprise en route by U.S. patrol vessels." His service with the Sandinistas was cut short when the United States and U.S. Marines appeared, as "he had no desire to fight his fellow countrymen." Another scenario is that the Sandinistas deemed the continued reliability of Americans to be dubious as a force opposing the Marines, and they were involuntarily retired.