The Justice Department has announced an initiative to address unresolved violent crimes in Indian Country, which includes crimes related to missing and murdered indigenous individuals. This operation, named "Operation Not Forgotten," will involve the deployment of 60 FBI personnel to 10 field offices nationwide.
The personnel will be assigned to Albuquerque, Denver, Detroit, Jackson (Mississippi), Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Portland (Oregon), Seattle, and Salt Lake City in 90-day rotations over the next six months. This marks the most extensive deployment of FBI resources to tackle Indian Country crime to date. The effort will operate in conjunction with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal law enforcement agencies.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs' Missing and Murdered Unit will support the FBI personnel in employing the latest forensic tools to address these cases. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices will actively pursue prosecution of case referrals. "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."
United States Attorney Robert J. Troester remarked, "Today’s announcement provides necessary additional resources to seek justice for victims of violent crime and families of missing loved ones in Indian Country."
Doug Goodwater, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Oklahoma City, echoed these sentiments, noting the collaboration with Tribal law enforcement partners, saying, "FBI Oklahoma City is proud to continue our collaboration...to investigate Indian country matters, and to find sustainable solutions that will improve public safety for our tribal communities."
Currently, FBI’s Indian Country program is dealing with approximately 4,300 open investigations, including over 900 death investigations, 1,000 child abuse cases, and more than 500 domestic violence and adult sexual abuse cases.
Operation Not Forgotten builds upon efforts started under Executive Order 13898, which established the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives during President Trump’s administration. This is the third deployment under the operation, supporting over 500 cases in the past two years, resulting in the recovery of 10 child victims, 52 arrests, and 25 indictments or judicial complaints.
Additionally, the operation expands recent efforts, backed by the Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program, to address missing and murdered indigenous people cases.