The U.S. Justice Department announced an initiative to address unresolved violent crimes in Indian Country, with a focus on cases involving missing and murdered indigenous persons. The planned operation will see the deployment of 60 FBI personnel in 90-day rotations over six months, marking a significant commitment to addressing crime in these communities.
The FBI personnel will assist field offices in several locations including Albuquerque, Denver, Detroit, Jackson, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Portland, Seattle, and Salt Lake City, in coordination with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal law enforcement agencies. These efforts aim to utilize the latest forensic evidence tools to resolve cases and hold offenders accountable, while U.S. Attorney’s Offices are set to prosecute these referrals vigorously.
"Crime rates in American Indian and Alaska Native communities are unacceptably high. By surging FBI resources and collaborating closely with US Attorneys and Tribal law enforcement to prosecute cases, the Department of Justice will help deliver the accountability that these communities deserve," stated Attorney General Pam Bondi.
FBI Director Kash Patel emphasized, "The FBI will manhunt violent criminals on all lands – and Operation Not Forgotten ensures a surge in resources to locate violent offenders on tribal lands and find those who have gone missing."
U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme expressed satisfaction with additional resources for the Salt Lake City Division, saying, "Together with the Tribal Community Response Plans facilitated by DOJ for each Montana reservation community and DOJ’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program, this deployment will help address this critical problem. Missing and murdered indigenous people will not be forgotten."
With the beginning of Fiscal Year 2025, the FBI's Indian Country program had ongoing investigations, including 900 death investigations, 1,000 child abuse cases, and over 500 cases of domestic violence and adult sexual abuse. This operation builds on efforts initiated under President Trump’s Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives, contributing to investigative support for over 500 cases in the past two years. In addition, it is supported by the Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program, which focuses on preventing and responding to such cases nationwide.