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Wednesday, October 21, 2026

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Justice Department · Wednesday, October 21, 2026

Justice Department reports 118 arrests in a tribal-land surge

The File desk · Oct. 21, 2026, 6:40 a.m. ET

Confirmed1 primary sources

Status

Confirmed as totals the Justice Department and the FBI announced Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, for Operation Not Forgotten 2026. Charges among those totals are allegations.
  • Confirmed
    The department said the April 1 through September 30 surge supported 548 investigations and produced 118 arrests.
  • Confirmed
    It said 41 people were charged federally, 25 child victims were identified or located, and 72 weapons were recovered.
The Justice Department said Tuesday that a six-month surge on unresolved cases in Indian country ended with 118 arrests. The same announcement says 41 people were charged in federal court. Those charges are allegations.1
Attorney General Todd Blanche said, “The Department of Justice will always work to deliver justice for the victims of violent crime in Indian country.” The department says arrests rose 123 percent from 2025, and that the count of investigations rose 59 percent. This story does not list individual defendants.1
Why it matters (Estimate). Estimate. Cases on tribal land often sit for years because the nearest federal agents are far away. A surge is the department sending people in for a season. The arrest total is the department's count of that season, not a list of convictions.1
Operation Not Forgotten ran from April 1 through September 30, its fourth year, the department said. The priority is violence against women and children on tribal land, including people who are missing or murdered. The department said the surge supported 548 case investigations, identified or located 25 child victims, and recovered 72 weapons.1
How we know

Notes

  1. 1.Justice Department Office of Public Affairs, “Justice Department Announces Results from Operation Not Forgotten 2026,” Tuesday, October 20, 2026. Re-opened for this edition. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-results-operation-not-forgotten-2026 “from April 1 through September 30, resulting in 118 arrests, 41 individuals charged federally, 25 child victims identified or located, and 72 weapons recovered.” “Supported 548 Case Investigations, a 59% increase from 2025.” “Arrests increased by 123% and subjects charged by 52% over 2025.” Todd Blanche: “The Department of Justice will always work to deliver justice for the victims of violent crime in Indian country.” Charges are allegations; defendants are presumed innocent.

What is still unknown or disputed

  • Which districts the 118 arrests were in.
  • How many of the federal charges have reached a plea or a verdict.

Primary sources

Every claim in this story is drawn from the documents below. If a fetch failed, that is recorded on the card.

  1. Source 1

    Justice Department Announces Results from Operation Not Forgotten 2026

    U.S. Department of Justice · October 20, 2026

    From April 1 through September 30 the surge resulted in 118 arrests, 41 individuals charged federally, 25 child victims identified or located, and 72 weapons recovered.

    https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-results-operation-not-forgotten-2026

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