The effectiveness of the Mexican forces in this engagement reflected their own deep familiarity with the terrain and their specific intelligence about the Apache band’s location.

The border was both a resource and a complication for the Apache resistance.

Moving across the border allowed the Apache to complicate the pursuit — United States military forces could not initially legally operate in Mexico, and Mexican forces could not legally operate in the United States.

This limitation gave the Apache some tactical advantage during certain phases of the conflict.

But the limitation was eventually overcome through bilateral agreements that allowed forces from each country to pursue Apache raiders across the border under specific conditions.