When Vangie Randall-Shorty first held her son, she felt unconditional love.
Zachariah Shorty is gone now – but she still feels it.
The 23-year-old was killed on the Navajo Nation in 2020, and ever since, Randall-Shorty has waited for answers.
“I carry him in my heart every day,” she said.
Finally, she learned Monday that federal authorities had charged three people in connection with her son’s death.
It was the latest development under Operation Not Forgotten, an FBI push to investigate unsolved violent crimes in Indian Country.
More than 60 extra FBI agents, analysts and other personnel were temporary assigned to field offices in 10 states, including Arizona, Utah, and Michigan.
According to federal statistics, Native Americans experience some of the highest per capita rates of violent victimization of any racial or ethnic group in the U.S.
At the beginning of the 2025 fiscal year, the FBI’s Indian Country program had about 4,300 open investigations. That included more than 900 death investigations, 1,000 child abuse investigations, and more than 500 domestic violence and adult sexual abuse investigations.
As part of its intensified operations, the FBI’s Indian Country initiatives netted 1,123 arrests, along with the recovery of more than 300 weapons. More than 450 children who were victims of crimes were identified or located.
FBI Director Kash Patel acknowledged Monday that the challenge of covering such large jurisdictions is complicated by a lack of resources. He described Operation Not Forgotten as “a major step forward” in giving tribal communities the justice that they deserve.
Work to bring more attention to the crisis has spanned decades. President Donald Trump was the first president to formally recognize the issue when he signed an executive order during his first term, establishing a task force to tackle the high rate of killings and disappearances among Native Americans and Alaska Natives.
Former U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, during her tenure, created a national commission to explore ways to bridge jurisdictional gaps and other challenges to curbing crime in tribal communities.
Officials said this year’s operation marked the longest and most intense deployment of FBI resources to date to address Indian Country crime.
