WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Justice has announced a new surge of FBI personnel to investigate unresolved violent crimes in Tribal communities, including cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous persons.
The operation, called Operation Not Forgotten, will involve the deployment of 60 FBI personnel to 10 FBI field offices across the country. These individuals will rotate through 90-day assignments over a six-month period. According to the Justice Department, this represents the most extensive national deployment of FBI resources to address crime in Tribal areas to date.
FBI agents will be stationed in field offices located in Albuquerque, Denver, Detroit, Jackson (Mississippi), Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Portland (Oregon), Seattle, and Salt Lake City. They will work alongside the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal law enforcement agencies. The Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit will provide additional support.
The Justice Department reported that the FBI’s Tribal crime program had approximately 4,300 open investigations at the beginning of Fiscal Year 2025. These included over 900 death investigations, 1,000 child abuse investigations, and more than 500 domestic violence and adult sexual abuse investigations.
Operation Not Forgotten builds on efforts initiated under Executive Order 13898 and is the third deployment of this operation. In the past two years, these efforts have contributed to over 500 case investigations, resulting in the recovery of 10 child victims, 52 arrests, and 25 indictments or judicial complaints.
U.S. Attorney’s Offices, including the Eastern District of Washington, will handle prosecution of case referrals. Acting U.S. Attorney Richard R. Barker stated that his office remains committed to working with Tribal leaders and law enforcement agencies to ensure safety and justice.
The Justice Department will also continue its MMIP (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons) Regional Outreach Program, which assigns attorneys and coordinators to U.S. Attorney’s Offices nationwide to support casework involving Indigenous victims.
The Department’s effort is intended to deliver accountability and improve public safety throughout Tribal communities.
