Cika wannan jumlar: Tare da wasu sojoji biyu na arziki da ƙwararrun bindigogi, Tracy Richardson da Emil Lewis Holmdahl, balaguron Dreben ya kai shi Amurka ta Tsakiya. Ya yi aiki a matsayin mai tsaron tsaro a yankin Canal na Panama. Bayan da ya yi kasuwanci da yawa da ba su yi nasara ba, an ɗauke shi ya yi yaƙi don ƙungiyoyin 'yanci daban-daban a Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, da Mexico. A Guatemala ne kawai ya ji rauni na yaƙi - harbi a baya. A cikin Juyin Juya Halin Mexico, Dreben ya shiga sojojin Francisco Madero a matsayin mai bindiga. Bayan kisan Madero a shekarar 1913, Dreben ya yi aiki ga Felix A. Sommerfeld a El Paso, ya yi safarar makamai zuwa sojojin Pancho Villa, kuma ya tafi aikin lalata a Mexico don aikin sirri na Sommerfeld. Lokacin da na biyun ya yi mummunan hari a Columbus, New Mexico a ranar 9 ga Maris, 1916, yana kashe wasu fararen hula, Dreben ya shiga cikin
Wata rundunar da Amurka ta aika don ta hukunta tsohon abokin aikinsa. Dreben ya yi aiki a matsayin mai bincike kuma ya zama babban aboki tare da kwamandan rundunar, Janar John Pershing. Ba'amurke ba su iya kama Villa ba, kuma wannan rikici ya ƙare a 1917.