FBI Operation Not Forgotten brings resources to Indian Country cases

The FBI’s Operation Not Forgotten began in 2023 and culminated in a six month surge in 2025 that placed 64 additional personnel in 10 field offices, among them the Albuquerque Division. The agency described the deployment as the longest and most intense national allocation of FBI resources to address Indian Country crime to date. The operation emphasized unresolved violent crime cases, with priority attention to violence against women and children, and aimed to bolster investigative, intelligence, and victim service support across tribal communities.

“Operation Not Forgotten deployed additional resources to New Mexico’s Indian Country, bolstering the dedicated agents and analysts striving each day to advance these cases toward resolution,” Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Division, said. The FBI also stated a continued commitment to collaboration with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies and tribal governments to build safer communities and protect rights.

Prosecutors in the USAO District of New Mexico announced several outcomes linked to the operation. Three people were indicted on federal charges in the reopening of a 2020 murder investigation into the death of Zachariah Shorty, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. Austin Begay was charged with first degree murder, while Jaymes Fage and Joshua Watkins faced charges related to concealing the murder. Other arrests included Renaldo Descheny, charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and related firearm charges, and Armondo Paul, arrested in connection with a fatal stabbing in Shiprock. Keanu Lee was charged with multiple counts including aggravated sexual abuse and kidnapping. Separately, Marvin Albert Wauneka was sentenced to 40 months in prison for a high speed drunk driving crash that killed two passengers and seriously injured another.

For McKinley County residents the operation carries immediate and longer term implications. The federal surge has produced arrests and convictions, yet it also underscores persistent investigative gaps and the need for sustained resources for victim services, local prosecution, and community based prevention. If you have information about crimes in Indian Country, submit an online tip at tips.fbi.gov, call 1 800 CALL FBI, or contact your local FBI office.