Around 1666, John David Nau rallied and invaded Maracaibo and nearby towns of Gibraltar in northwestern present-day Venezuela. Prisoners who survived the torture and starvation were released on ransom, enriching Nao and his buccaneers. They then headed back to Nicaragua, but Nao's forces were repulsed by indigenous people living near the Nicaraguan River. When they fled to Darién, they were captured by goners who harshly killed Nau by tearing him to pieces.