FBI sends ‘surge’ of agents to Indian Country

By on Thursday, April 3rd, 2025 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Justice Department announced yesterday it will “surge FBI assets across the country to address unresolved violent crimes in Indian Country, including crimes relating to missing and murdered indigenous persons.”

The FBI will send 60 assets, rotating in 90-day temporary assignments over a six month period for Operation Not Forgotten. In addition to Portland and Seattle, the assets will be deployed to field offices in Albuquerque, Denver, Mississippi, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City. They will partner with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal law enforcement agencies across those jurisdictions.

“The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) believes the U. S. Department of Justice’s announcement regarding a surge of FBI assets across Indian Country to address violent crimes is a step in the right direction and will evaluate what the announcement will mean for the Umatilla Indian Reservation and its residents,” CTUIR wrote in a statement about the announcement.

FBI personnel will be assisted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit. They plan to use the latest forensic evidence-processing tools to solve cases and hold perpetrators accountable. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in Eastern Washington and Oregon have vowed to aggressively prosecute case referrals.

“Working side-by-side with Tribal leaders as well as federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement, my office is prepared to devote the resources that are necessary to ensure the safety and security of everyone that calls Eastern Washington home,” Acting U.S. Attorney Richard R. Barker of the Eastern Washington district stated.

“Operation Not Forgotten provides critical resources to support the ongoing efforts by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and partners to address violent crime including missing and murdered indigenous people in Tribal communities throughout Oregon,” District of Oregon Acting U.S. Attorney William M. Narus stated.

“FBI Portland welcomes additional resources to assist in conducting investigative and enforcement efforts throughout the state of Oregon, FBI Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Olson said. “Our men and women are dedicated to serving our communities with the assistance of our partners and we will continue to do so with the same vigor and dedication as we have in the past.”

At the beginning of the fiscal year 2025, the FBI’s Indian Country program had approximately 4,300 open investigations including over 900 death investigations, 1,000 child abuse investigations, and more than 500 domestic violence and adult sexual abuse investigations.