FBI sending investigators to Minneapolis help solve cases in Native American communities

Minneapolis is one of eleven sites across the country where additional FBI agents will be assigned to help solve unresolved cases in Native American communities.

The FBI made the announcement last week, saying the wave of agents is part of Operation Not Forgotten, an initiative that started in 2023. It prioritizes cases involving violence against women and children, including those who are missing or were murdered. 

Last year, dozens of agents supported 12 field offices to help work through a backlog of cases, according to Darren Cox, who leads the field office in Washington.

Agents will be sent to areas in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota to "help solve violent crimes and improve safety across tribal lands in the upcoming months," the Minneapolis FBI office said in a post on X.

Guadalupe Lopez, the office director for Minnesota's Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Office said the department is "happy to accept all of the resources for our impacted family members, community members."

"We do want the assistance. The families deserve support and help. I would really love to be in partnership, our office, along with other law enforcement, of supporting those families and getting answers and justice and for their loved ones that are impacted by homicide or missing persons cases," Lopez said.

She added that last year, 732 Indigenous people were missing in Minnesota, with women making up two thirds of that figure.

"This doesn't just impact one small community, this impacts the whole state and regions. And so having the support, for the federal government to keep this on the, you know, on the table as a resource is very important," she said.

The FBI said the staff members would include investigative, intelligence and victim service support. They'll rotate among the 10 other chosen FBI field offices.