Overview
Ángel de Martos y Navarrete was governor of the Spanish provinces of Coahuila (1757–1759) and Texas (1759–1766). His administration in Texas was characterised by a high degree of corruption, which led him to undergo trials and various sanctions (a high fine and his exclusion from any future public office).
Early years
Navarrete grew up in a family with a military tradition, which may have favoured his incorporation into the Armada Real (Royal Navy) in 1731. He held the rank of Marine Guard of the navy. In the 1730s he participated in the military campaigns of Italy and Algeria and was promoted to lieutenant. So, he was a naval lieutenant.
Administration of Texas
He was appointed governor of Texas on August 21, 1756. At that time, the previous governor, Jacinto de Barrios y Jáuregui, was still busy building the Presidio of San Agustín de Ahumada, on the lower Trinity River. Therefore, Navarrete could only begin his administration in the province on February 6, 1759. During the intervening period he governed Coahuila (in present-day Mexico), for whose government Jáuregui had just been appointed. Because of this, Navarrete ordered Pacheco's replacement from his position, that the San Agustin de Ahumada presidio be moved to the Los Horconcitos region, and Pacheco's imprisonment. Navarrete sent one of his soldiers, Lieutenant Marcos Ruíz to the presidio to force Martínez to leave it. However, Ruíz decided to surround the presidio with his soldiers. Pacheco did not want to leave the presidio and attacked Ruíz's troops with a cannon.
After this, the governor decided to end his confrontation with Martínez and ordered the presidio to be set on fire in order to force Pacheco out of it to be able to capture him. Thus, Pacheco left the presidio for La Bahía and San Antonio. Subsequently, he traveled to Mexico City to have his case studied. In 1767, Hugo Oconór traveled to San Antonio, Texas to begin his administration and investigate the problems that had occurred during Navarrete's government. Oconór's investigation concluded with Pacheco's exoneration, who was allowed to return to the presidio. That's because research showed that he had no connection with the charges against him. Therefore, the Viceroy of New Spain, Carlos Francisco de Croix, ordered an investigation with respect to Navarrete.
The investigation was carried out by the inspector of border presidios Marqués de Rubí (who, among other functions, was to solve economic abuses in the territories of New Spain). He discovered all the corruption that Navarrete had carried out during his government, which caused the viceroy to remove Navarrete from his post as governor and replace him with Hugo Oconór in 1767. Navarrete was prosecuted for fourteen years due to smuggling and the burning of the presidio. When the trial came to an end, the former governor was sentenced to pay a “heavy fine”, while at the same time losing all rights to hold another public office.