The U.S. Department of Justice said its six-month operation, Operation Not Forgotten, which has helped the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) investigate violent crime in Indian Country, has resulted in numerous arrests.
The DOJ said the FBI has sent 64 personnel on temporary duty assignments to support field offices in Albuquerque; Denver; Detroit; Jackson, Miss.; Minneapolis; Oklahoma City; Phoenix; Portland, Ore.; Seattle; and Salt Lake City. Working in partnership with the BIA and Tribal law enforcement, the FBI’s Indian Country initiatives charged more than 1,260 individuals, arrested more than 1,120 and helped identify or locate nearly 460 children.
“These dedicated efforts by FBI agents, together with the BIA and our tribal law enforcement partners, have solved crimes, protected victims of violence, and brought much needed safety and security to communities in Indian Country,” U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said. “We will never forget the crime victims whose cases remain unsolved, and we will continue our pursuit until justice is served.”
FBI personnel, assisted by personnel from the BIA Missing and Murdered Unit, provided investigative and intelligence support in more than 330 investigations.
“One of the biggest problems tribal communities face is the vast amount of land to account for, requiring significant resources to crush violent crime,” FBI Director Kash Patel said. “As FBI Director, I’m committed to surging personnel to these areas and working hand-in-hand with Tribal partners. Operation Not Forgotten is a major step forward in giving these communities the justice that they deserve.”
The DOJ said Indian Country faces persistent levels of violent crime and victimization. At the beginning of Fiscal Year 2025, FBI’s Indian Country program had approximately 4,300 open investigations, including over 900 death investigations, 1,000 child abuse investigations, and more than 500 domestic violence and adult sexual abuse investigations.