Justice Department Announces Operation Not Forgotten 2026

# Justice Department Launches Operation Not Forgotten 2026

The Department of Justice and FBI announced a personnel surge for Operation Not Forgotten 2026 on Thursday, April 2, 2026, to address violent crime in Indian Country. Now in its fourth year, the initiative prioritizes unresolved cases involving violence against women and children, including missing and murdered Indigenous persons.

Operation Not Forgotten operates under the broader Operation Steadfast Promise, which deploys federal resources to combat gang activity, violent crime against children, and fugitive apprehension. The FBI coordinates with U.S. Attorneys' Offices, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Tribal law enforcement partners to investigate cases across multiple territories.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated the initiative will address gang and drug-related violence alongside domestic and sexual violence in Tribal communities. FBI Director Kash Patel emphasized that the surge aims to prevent violent actors from operating "lawlessly" on Tribal lands, while the ATF pledged its investigative and forensic capabilities to support the effort.