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Marcus Canul, an Icaiche chief can be credited with bringing the war across the border. In 1864, the Mexicans made known a decree which claimed this area for Mexico. Also, the Icaiche village of Siris, located within the colony, had been supplied with arms by the British to help protect the border. Instead, the Mexicans welcomed Canul and his men and joined forces in his efforts against the colonists.
The first Maya attack was successful pushing away most of the Europeans away of Maya communal lands.
"Fort Barlee was constructed in Corozal Town by Lieutenant Governor Frederick Palgrave Barlee in the late 1870’s. The fort was built to protect British interests and early settlers in Corozal during the latter years of the Guerra de Las Castas (Caste War); an indigenous uprising of Yucatec Maya tribes. The Cruzo’ob Maya in southern Mexico and the Icaiche Maya in northern Belize had direct impact on Corozal Town. The fort had four gun turrets made of red bricks and wooden palisades that spanned the distance between the turrets. The bricks were originally used as ballasts by ships that traveled from Great Britain to the West Indies and Belize. On their return, the ships were filled with mahogany and logwood. Soldiers stationed at Fort Barlee were members of the British West India Regiment who mostly came from Jamaica and Barbados," ( Discover Corozal, 2018)
The Four Fortress built in Corozal during the Colonial times as a form of defense against the Mayas. According to Tzul 2025, this fortresses were also used against Marcus Canul when he went to defend Corozal and charge the British for exploting the Maya Lands.
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