Operation Not Forgotten Expands Federal Support for Tribal Investigations as Arizona Communities Address Violent Crime

Federal officials are expanding investigative and victim support resources in Arizona and across the country through Operation Not Forgotten 2026, an initiative focused on unresolved violent crime in tribal communities.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday that additional personnel will be deployed to support investigations in Indian Country, including assignments to the FBI’s Phoenix Field Office, which covers tribal lands in Arizona.

Operation Not Forgotten is a multi-agency effort involving the FBI, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit, operating under the bureau’s ongoing Operation Steadfast Promise. The program provides investigative, intelligence, and victim services support through temporary duty assignments in multiple field offices nationwide.

The 2026 deployment includes personnel assigned to 11 FBI field offices—Phoenix, Albuquerque, Billings, Detroit, Denver, Jackson, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Omaha, and Portland—to assist with unresolved violent crime cases and support tribal law enforcement partners.

Federal officials said the initiative builds on prior efforts that have supported hundreds of investigations involving violent crime in tribal communities, including cases involving missing or murdered individuals, child abuse, domestic violence, and sexual assault.

In a statement on April 2, FBI Director Kash Patel said:

“For far too long, our tribal partners have been forgotten while their communities suffer unacceptably high rates of violent crime. Last year’s Operation Not Forgotten was a tremendous success in delivering the resources long needed in Indian Country—and we are just getting started.

This FBI will continue working together with our tribal and federal partners to again surge personnel to block violent actors who think they can act lawlessly within these revered communities.”

FBI Surges Personnel to Support Operation Not Forgotten 2026, Expanding Investigative Resources Across Indian Country: https://t.co/MbYGSKj96j pic.twitter.com/jGoLqo89fx

— FBI (@FBI) April 2, 2026

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Deputy Director Rob Cekada said the initiative reflects coordinated federal enforcement efforts, adding that ATF is contributing investigative and forensic resources to support the operation.

At the start of the fiscal year, the FBI’s Indian Country program reported approximately 4,100 open investigations, reflecting the scope of ongoing cases across tribal jurisdictions.

The additional resources are intended to support tribal law enforcement agencies and improve coordination across federal, state, and local jurisdictions, particularly in cases that have remained unresolved.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the initiative builds on earlier federal efforts addressing violent crime in tribal communities, including the establishment of the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit during President Donald Trump’s first term.

The federal deployment comes as some tribal communities in Arizona have taken additional steps to address violent crime at the local level.

In the Gila River Indian Community, tribal leadership considered measures including banishment and disenrollment for members convicted of violent offenses in September 2025, as previously reported by California Globe, following what officials described as a surge in violent crime on the reservation.

The proposed ordinance would allow tribal authorities to prohibit individuals from residing on or entering tribal lands and, in some cases, remove tribal membership for those convicted of serious offenses such as homicide, aggravated assault, kidnapping, or violent sexual crimes.

Tribal officials have also implemented additional public safety measures, including curfews and emergency declarations, in response to ongoing concerns about violent crime within the community.

Operation Not Forgotten began as a federal initiative to surge investigative and victim support resources into Indian Country, with a focus on violent crimes impacting Native American communities. Officials said the 2026 effort will continue deploying rotating teams of agents, specialists, and victim services personnel to assist with investigations and support affected families.

Federal authorities said the initiative will operate in coordination with tribal governments and law enforcement agencies to advance investigations and pursue accountability in cases involving violent crime on tribal lands.