The Justice Department has announced a significant deployment of FBI resources to address unresolved violent crimes in Indian Country. This operation, titled "Operation Not Forgotten," will see 60 FBI personnel dispatched across the United States, with each serving a 90-day temporary assignment over a six-month period.
These efforts mark the most extensive national deployment of FBI resources aimed at tackling crime in Indian Country thus far. The FBI personnel will support field offices located in Albuquerque, Denver, Detroit, Jackson, Miss., Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Portland, Ore., Seattle, and Salt Lake City. They will collaborate with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal law enforcement bodies.
Assistance will come from the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit, enhancing efforts with the latest forensic tools to solve cases and hold those responsible accountable. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices aim to prosecute cases aggressively.
"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," commented Attorney General Pam Bondi.
FBI Director Kash Patel stated, "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."
Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington Teal Luthy Miller emphasized the importance of collaboration in these efforts: "Investigating and prosecuting crimes in Indian Country in collaboration with our tribal partners is critical to our shared mission of addressing public safety in our communities. We welcome the opportunity for continued collaboration as we seek justice on behalf of victims of violent crime."
The initiative comes against a backdrop of persistent crime within Indian Country. As of Fiscal Year 2025, the FBI’s Indian Country program was investigating about 4,300 cases, including over 900 death inquiries, 1,000 child abuse cases, and more than 500 incidents of domestic violence and adult sexual abuse.
This current mission strengthens efforts initiated during President Trump’s first term under Executive Order 13898, which established the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. "Operation Not Forgotten" forms part of a broader initiative that, in its previous two deployments, has offered support to over 500 cases, resulting in the recovery of 10 child victims, 52 arrests, and 25 indictments or judicial actions.
Additionally, the operation seeks to broaden resources aimed at addressing missing and murdered indigenous individuals’ cases. Supporting this drive is the Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program, which assigns attorneys and coordinators to U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide to prevent and respond to such cases.