Federal law‑enforcement officials announced significant progress this summer in addressing violent crime against Native American women and children, highlighting a breakthrough case in northern Nevada. Operation Not Forgotten, now in its fourth year, has expanded its reach across Indian Country, delivering new arrests, charges and resources for families awaiting answers.
Nationwide gains and Nevada focus
From April 1 through Sept. 30, the initiative supported 548 investigations – a 59% increase over the previous year – resulting in 118 arrests and 41 federal charges. FBI agents conducted 990 interviews and 232 search operations during the six‑month period. Arrests rose 123% and federal charges grew 52% compared with 2025, underscoring a clear upward trend in enforcement activity.
In Nevada, the effort produced a notable development in the February 2022 homicide of Anna Scott, a member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe who was killed on the Reno‑Sparks Indian Colony. In July, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Delshay Astor with her alleged murder, and Joel Christy was charged with aiding Astor’s evasion of law enforcement. The case exemplifies the operation’s focus on unresolved tribal crimes, especially violence against women and children.
Commitment from federal partners
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah emphasized the disproportionate rates of domestic violence and sexual assault faced by Native Americans, stating, “The District of Nevada reaffirms our commitment to finding the missing and seeking justice for the murdered. Our office stands shoulder‑to‑shoulder with our local, state, federal and tribal law‑enforcement partners.” FBI Director Kash Patel added that this represents the bureau’s largest commitment to Indian Country in its history, deploying investigative, intelligence and support personnel through 12 field offices, including a Las Vegas team.
The FBI also highlighted progress through Operation Steadfast Promise, a separate 2026 initiative targeting a broader range of violent crime in tribal communities. Since April, that effort has generated more than 1,200 new investigations, 678 criminal charges, over 700 arrests, the recovery of 2,260 weapons and 140 drug seizures.
Resources for families and communities
Both operations aim to reduce the backlog of more than 4,000 open cases involving deaths, child abuse, domestic violence and sexual abuse of adults in Indian Country. To encourage public assistance, the FBI’s Voices Not Forgotten webpage now features a searchable map of investigations and a new protocol offering up to $25,000 rewards for information leading to resolution of homicides, kidnappings and missing‑person cases where the bureau has jurisdiction.
Residents with tips are urged to contact their local FBI field office or submit information at tips.fbi.gov. The continued collaboration between federal, state and tribal authorities demonstrates a steadfast commitment to delivering justice for Native American families and strengthening safety in Nevada’s tribal communities.
Original reporting: 2news.com — read the source article.
