Pierre Lafitte

Pierre Lafitte (1770–1821) was a pirate in the Gulf of Mexico and smuggler in the early 19th century. He also ran a blacksmith shop in New Orleans, his legitimate business. Pierre was historically less well known than his younger brother, Jean Lafitte. While not as much of a sailor as Jean, Pierre was the public face of the Lafitte operation, and was known for his wit and charm, in addition to his handling of the sale of smuggled goods.

This article is about the Pierre Lafitte the pirate. For Pierre Lafitte the Basque writer, see Pierre Lafitte Ithurralde.
Pierre Lafitte
Born1770
Possibly France or Biarritz
Died1821
Dzilam de Bravo, Yucatán, Mexico
Piratical career
TypePrivateer, blacksmith, spy
RankCaptain
Base of operationsNew Orleans
Battles/warsWar of 1812
Battle of New Orleans

Pierre Lafitte also spied for Spain and commanded artillery units. He died in 1821 near Dzilam de Bravo in the Yucatán Peninsula.

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