The Justice Department is turning its gaze toward the open wounds of violent crime in Indian Country, unleashing a surge of FBI personnel to bring closure to unresolved cases, the U.S. Attorney's Office reports. With 60 FBI agents set for 90-day rotations over six months, this initiative, known as Operation Not Forgotten, marks the federal government's most substantial investment of national resources into Indian Country crime to date.
These agents, who are to be distributed among FBI field offices including those in Albuquerque, Denver, Phoenix, and six others, aim to support the collaborative work with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal law enforcement, tackling the pervasive violence that haunts these communities; the multi-agency force will lean on the latest forensic tools to resolve cases and, as declared by Attorney General Pam Bondi in a statement, "deliver the accountability that these communities deserve."
This concerted thrust for justice aligns with past efforts established under President Trump's first term, and the subsequent two years have witnessed some advancement with the recovery of 10 child victims, 52 arrests, and 25 indictories or judicial complaints from over 500 cases, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office. The initiative not only deepens law enforcement's inroads but also plants regional outreach program attorneys and coordinators in U.S. Attorney's Offices around the nation to preclude and confront the disturbing pattern of missing or murdered indigenous people.
Backing the operation, FBI Director Kash Patel professed their commitment to "manhunt violent criminals on all lands," ensuring resources surge to identify offenders and find the missing on tribal lands, while Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis emphasized the bolstering effect the operation will have on local, state, federal, and tribal partnerships, remarking in a statement that the additional resources will "bring cases closer to resolution."
With Indian Country grappling with alarming crime rates and more than 4,300 open FBI investigations, including those into over 900 deaths, 1,000 child abuse cases, and over 500 involving domestic violence or adult sexual abuse, this deployment seeks to temper the storm of violence through steadfast attention and uncompromising pursuit of justice.
