US NSC Internal Memo #68304-695

Negotiators in our switchboard office believe there are now 3 armed assailants and 7 hostages after careful study of the background noises in the audio. The assailants have been revealed to have a mobile internet connection and have been deeply angered by the media coverage of the situation. They claim to have the cave wired with explosives and will detonate them if their demands are not met. Also, it has been communicated to the President that he has reason to suspect that “Pedro” could be connected to Santiago Hernandez. He has an older son from a previous marriage named Pedro, meaning that he is the half-brother of Adriana. Current intelligence on Pedro Hernandez is lacking, but a few details can be gleaned from his father's file. A high-school dropout, he has been assigned low-level duties within the Hernandez criminal organization, while his brother Carlos has been groomed to be Santiago's successor. It is quite possible that the elder Hernandez sent Pedro on a suicide mission in retaliation for his infant daughter's absence. Negotiators are currently pressing for Pedro's surrender, trying to suggest that he is being used by his father. However, he has not complied, has restated his demands, and has also claimed to have sufficient resources to survive in a siege situation for a long period of time. Border Patrol agents are concerned with the well-being of the injured Border Patrol agent and are incapable of solving the situation on their own. They are requesting federal assistance.