San Juan had already faced English attacks in 1595 and 1598 and a Dutch attack in 1625. That history gave Spain ample reason to prepare defenses for another expedition. Puerto Rico's place in the Spanish Caribbean made the port strategically important despite the difficulty of taking it. Repeated attacks show that the objective was predictable even when the timing of a particular landing was not. The British expedition needed intelligence and force sufficient for an attack on a prepared objective.
Notable Point · 42:09-43:18
San Juan was a predictable strategic target
English attacks in 1595 and 1598 and a Dutch attack in 1625 gave Spain ample reason to fortify San Juan, whose position made further attacks predictable.