In a significant move to combat violent crime in Indian Country, the Justice Department has announced the success of Operation Not Forgotten, which sent an influx of FBI personnel across the nation to tackle cases of missing or murdered Indigenous persons, reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Arizona. According to the statement, 64 FBI agents have been deployed to support field offices in strategic locations over six months, engaging in close collaboration with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal law enforcement, and the operation has been praised by Attorney General Pamela Bondi who said "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."
The added manpower assisted with 330 investigations, leading to 1260 individuals being charged, 1123 arrests, and the recovery of 304 weapons and identification or location of 458 child victims; FBI Director Kash Patel emphasized the significance of these statistics by stating, "One of the biggest problems tribal communities face is the vast amount of land to account for, requiring significant resources to crush violent crime," adding that Operation Not Forgotten is a major step forward in giving these communities the justice that they deserve. The resources have been particularly beneficial in Arizona, where the U.S. Attorney's Office reported opening approximately 154 Indian Country-Violent Crime investigations and securing over 73 indictments and complaints.
Highlighting individual cases, defendants like Kevin Ronnie Tungovia were arrested and charged with serious crimes such as sexual abuse of a minor and intent to distribute controlled substances; and another, Richard Alex Buitimea, was sentenced to 10 years following a child pornography conviction, the details of these cases serve to exemplify the operation's impact on safety in these communities. The FBI's Indian Country program, suffering under an extensive load of active investigations, has found respite in this surge, which reflected a broader initiative rising from President Trump's E.O. 13898, aimed at addressing the issue of missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Operation Not Forgotten has now been instrumental in supporting over 760 cases in three years, resulting in 249 arrests, 235 charges, 109 convictions, and aid delivered to nearly 2,000 victims or their families; this year's effort is buttressed by the Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program, aimed to prevent and respond to these critical cases with legal and community support among U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the nation, as shared in the official press release.
