The FBI is cranking up its presence in tribal communities tied to the Phoenix field office, reviving and expanding Operation Not Forgotten with fresh muscle and support staff aimed at long-stalled violent crime cases.
In an April 2 announcement, the bureau said it is sending rotating teams of investigators, analysts and victim‑service personnel into Indian Country, with the fourth year of the operation zeroing in on unresolved violent crimes, especially those targeting women and children.
The move came in a national statement outlining how surged personnel will rotate through 11 FBI field offices, including Phoenix. “For far too long, our tribal partners have been forgotten while their communities suffer unacceptably high rates of violent crime,” FBI Director Kash Patel said, according to FBI. The bureau is billing the 2026 push as the latest phase of Operation Steadfast Promise, its broader effort to go after gangs, cartels and other violent threats in Indian Country.
At the start of the fiscal year, the FBI said its Indian Country program was juggling roughly 4,100 open cases, a caseload that includes death investigations, child‑abuse cases and adult sexual‑assault probes, according to the FBI. FBI Phoenix echoed the director’s message on its official account, and its post on X boosted the national announcement. Incoming teams will include investigative, intelligence and victim‑service specialists who are expected to coordinate with U.S. attorneys and the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Missing and Murdered Unit.
What last year’s surge produced
Justice Department officials say earlier rounds of Operation Not Forgotten did not just look good on paper. A previous six‑month surge produced hundreds of arrests and federal charges. In Arizona alone, the U.S. Attorney’s Office reported that the 2025 push opened about 154 Indian‑Country violent‑crime investigations and led to more than 73 indictments or complaints during that window, according to a Justice Department release. Nationwide, that same release said the broader initiative helped generate more than 1,200 defendants charged and over 1,100 arrests across multiple field offices.
Local partners say it helps, but questions remain
FBI Phoenix officials have described the extra agents as a critical shot in the arm for remote reservation communities that often lack the staff and tools to dig into complex violent crimes.
“Agents assigned to Indian Country offices have significant caseloads and most of those cases include extremely violent crimes,” Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Schaeffer said after last year’s deployment, according to the Justice Department.
Advocates who spoke to AP welcomed the renewed focus, saying the surge can bring relief in places where unsolved cases weigh heavily on families. At the same time, they warned that flying in agents for short stints will not be enough without long‑term funding, culturally competent victim services and real investment in tribal law enforcement.
Why federal jurisdiction matters
Part of the reason the FBI is so deeply involved in these cases comes down to a jurisdiction maze. Federal laws such as the Major Crimes Act send certain serious felonies on tribal land to federal prosecutors, while other offenses may land with tribal or state authorities. That patchwork is one reason federal agents are routinely called in on major violent‑crime cases in Indian Country, as detailed in a GAO report on criminal justice in tribal communities.
Advocates and law enforcement officials alike say the real test will not be a single surge but whether tribal, federal and local partners can keep working in sync over time. Key things to watch: where the rotating teams ultimately land, whether the bureau keeps agents on tribal cases longer than brief tours and whether tribal leaders see concrete progress in closing cases and supporting victims. The FBI urged anyone with information about unresolved violent crimes in Indian Country to contact their local field office or submit a tip online.
