 Guerrero, who had been appointed Chief of Operations of the Confederation of Groups of the Liberal Army in Mexico, 
decided to raise an armed force in El Paso, Texas, and lead it across the border, even with the disapproval of the PLM's Organizing Committee, which wanted him to dedicate his efforts to writing and reporting.On 22 December, some 30 revolutionaries led by Guerrero entered Mexico through Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, 
attacked a hacienda, sequestered a train, and advanced toward the south, destroying the railway bridges as they passed.At Estación Guzmán, Chihuahua, they were joined by another 20 insurgents; there, on 25 December, they split into two groups, the larger one led by Guerrero and the other by Prisciliano Silva.