FBI deploys agents to Arizona to tackle unsolved violent crimes in tribal communities

PHOENIX — The FBI is sending another wave of agents and specialists to Arizona as part of the newest phase of Operation Not Forgotten, a renewed push to address unresolved violent crimes in Native American communities.

The bureau will also deploy additional personnel to offices in New Mexico, Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Washington, Utah, Oregon and Mississippi.

FBI Director Kash Patel said the deployment is the latest in a four-year effort to bolster investigations of an issue that disproportionately impacts Native Americans.

“For far too long, our tribal partners have been forgotten while their communities suffer unacceptably high rates of violent crime,” Patel said in a Thursday announcement.

How Operation Not Forgotten helps local investigators

The initiative builds on prior deployments that have provided federal investigative support to more than 700 cases. The FBI says that sending agents to field offices through this operation has led to the recovery of child victims, as well as arrests and federal indictments.

“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,” Patel said.

Here are some of the organizations the FBI is collaborating with:

• U.S. attorneys’ offices
• The Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit
• The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
• Tribal and other federal law enforcement partners

“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,” Patel said.

A decades-long crisis

Violence against Native Americans has been a long‑standing crisis. In 1999, federal data showed that Native Americans faced violent crime at more than twice the national rate, a pattern that persisted across all age groups.

The crisis remains severe. As of June 2023, American Indian and Alaska Native people made up 3.5% of all missing persons in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. That’s over three times their share of the U.S. population.

Additionally, Congress reports that 84% of Native women and 82% of Native men have experienced violence in their lifetime. Native children also face higher rates of abuse and trauma than non‑Native children.

Operation Not Forgotten helps Arizona tackle pervasive issue

With 22 federally recognized tribes within its borders, Arizona is uniquely impacted by this issue. Native American lands cover more than 25% of the state. It’s also home to the Navajo Nation, the largest reservation in the U.S.

Last year, 14‑year‑old Emily Pike of the San Carlos Apache Tribe went missing. A month later, her remains were discovered near Globe and the San Carlos Apache Reservation, about 80 miles from the group home she had fled.

Her death drew nationwide attention to the crisis impacting indigenous communities, and there are multiple memorials for her, including at Fitch Park in Mesa, where she enjoyed playing.

Emily is the namesake of “Emily’s Law,” which Gov. Katie Hobbs signed last May.

The law created a “Turquoise Alert” system to issue specialized alerts when an endangered person under 65 goes missing in Arizona.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Related

Wrongful death lawsuit filed against Mesa group home Emily Pike ran away from before her murderMesa group home Emily Pike ran from before her death denies lawsuit's allegationsArizona lawmaker says Department of Child Safety has committed to immediate reformsDepartment of Health confirms first case of Clade I mpox in Arizona but says public risk lowJay Feely, Amish Shah win respective primaries, will face each other for CD-1Kimberly Yee wins GOP primary for Arizona schools chief over Tom Horne