He sailed onboard the Santa Catarina with 100 families, most of them recruited from his own and his wife's kin. After his arrival and a hard expedition trip inland, he founded a settlement called San Luis Rey de Francia and the New Kingdom of Leon.
In 1590 Luis Carvajal y de la Cueva was accused by the Spanish Inquisition of heresy. The envoy of the Spanish viceroy found that members of his extended family had reverted to Judaism, notably his niece Isabel Rodriguez. He was condemned to a six year exile from the New Spain, but while waiting for the execution of his sentence, he died in prison. On December 8, 1596, most of his extended family, 121 of the original settlers of Monterrey (the capital city), were executed in Mexico City’s main plaza.
Monterrey still bears the customs of his Jewish heritage, particularly the cuisine (cabrito, semitas), popular Sepharditic family names (like Garza) and some local festivities.