JANUARY 14, 2004- THE DEA'S THREAT ASSESSMENT REPORT

On January 14, 2004, corrupt Mexican police officers working for the Juarez Cartel kidnap, torture and murder three men. Later that day, the same officers attempt to kidnap a DEA agent stationed in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. The DEA agent escapes, but in the aftermath of this failed kidnapping, the DEA initiates what it calls a "threat assessment." Over the next few weeks, senior agents from both DEA and ICE interview dozens of individuals. They prepare a sensitive report and deliver it to senior officials at the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. The details of this report remain secret to this day, but a summary of the report and a timeline associated with the report have been released. They offer the clearest picture yet of the Santillan case from beginning to end.