The Department of Justice has initiated a strategic deployment of FBI resources to tackle unresolved violent crimes in Indian Country, including issues related to missing and murdered indigenous people. This initiative represents the most extensive national deployment of FBI resources to address crime in Indian Country.
Over the next six months, 60 FBI personnel will be assigned to various field offices across the United States, serving temporary 90-day assignments. The field offices benefiting from this operation include those in Albuquerque, Denver, Detroit, Jackson, Mississippi, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Portland, Oregon, Seattle, and Salt Lake City. The FBI will work alongside the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal law enforcement.
FBI teams will collaborate with the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit, employing advanced forensic tools to advance investigations and ensure perpetrators are held accountable. These efforts will be supported by aggressive prosecution from U.S. Attorney's Offices.
Attorney General Pam Bondi stated, "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."
FBI Director Kash Patel emphasized the initiative by stating, “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 Alison J. Ramsdell reinforced the commitment of local offices by saying, “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota, alongside our federal, state, and tribal law enforcement partners, has for decades been fiercely committed to responding to violent crime in Indian country. These additional resources will aid in our effort to hold offenders accountable and achieve justice on behalf of victims.”
At the start of Fiscal Year 2025, the FBI's Indian Country program was handling 4,300 active investigations, which included over 900 death investigations, 1,000 child abuse cases, and more than 500 investigations into domestic violence and adult sexual abuse. This extended operation builds on efforts initiated under President Trump's Executive Order 13898 and has provided investigative support to over 500 cases, resulting in the recovery of 10 child victims, 52 arrests, and 25 indictments or judicial complaints.
The initiative continues the expansion of resources aimed at addressing missing and murdered indigenous people, supported by the Department's MMIP Regional Outreach Program, which dedicates attorneys and coordinators to various U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to aid in case prevention and response.