Justice Department and FBI Announce Results of Operation Not Forgotten 2026

The U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI announced the results of their 2026 personnel surge under Operation Not Forgotten, an initiative focused on resolving violent crime cases in Indian country, particularly those involving missing, murdered, or abused women and children. The nationwide operation, which ran from April 1 through September 30, resulted in 118 arrests, 41 individuals federally charged, 25 child victims identified or located, and 72 weapons recovered.

According to federal authorities, the four-year-old operation involved 990 interviews and 232 search operations by FBI agents across multiple jurisdictions. The Justice Department reported a 123 percent increase in arrests and a 52 percent rise in federal charges compared to the 2025 iteration of the operation. FBI personnel were deployed on rotating temporary duty assignments across 12 field offices, including Albuquerque, Billings, Detroit, Denver, Jackson, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Portland, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City.

Federal officials highlighted several specific indictments and charges across multiple districts resulting from the surge:

• District of Wyoming: Federal grand juries indicted 18 individuals for violent crimes and child abuse offenses on the Wind River Indian Reservation. Charges included a five-count indictment against Jose Benito Ocon for first-degree murder and related offenses tied to an August 2025 shooting, as well as child abuse charges against Darlynn Sheree Seminole.
• District of Nevada: Delshay Astor was charged in a superseding indictment for the alleged February 2022 murder of Anna Scott on the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, while Joel Christy was charged with assisting Astor to avoid apprehension.
• District of Minnesota: Four cases involving violent and sexual offenses were charged, including the September 2026 indictment of Courtney John Barrett Sr. on two counts of sexual abuse of a minor.
• District of Montana: Michael Plentybuffalo was charged in connection with the death of Shann Nomee, whose body was discovered following a January 2024 disappearance. In a separate case, Lance Crookedarm was charged with violent assault and non-fatal strangulation.
• District of Arizona: At least four cases were charged involving violent assaults, arson, and aggravated sexual abuse of a minor on the Navajo Nation and the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.

Alongside Operation Not Forgotten, the Justice Department provided an update on Operation Steadfast Promise, a broader initiative launched in April 2026. The FBI stated that Operation Steadfast Promise has led to more than 1,200 new investigations, criminal charges against 678 individuals, over 700 arrests, 2,260 recovered weapons, and 140 drug seizures across Indian country.

Federal law enforcement agencies are currently handling more than 4,000 open investigations in Indian country covering homicides, domestic violence, and sexual abuse. The FBI noted that it maintains a minimum reward of $25,000 for information regarding publicly advertised homicides, kidnappings, and missing persons cases within its Indian country jurisdiction.

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