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The Arrest of Patty Hearst

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Retired Special Agent Doyle recalls the investigation and events leading up to the arrest of Patty Hearst, kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army.

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Indian Country Crime

The FBI investigates the most serious crimes in Indian Country—such as murder, child sexual and physical abuse, violent assaults, drug trafficking, public corruption, financial crimes, and Indian gaming violations. More than 150 agents work Indian Country matters full time.

The FBI promotes relationship building and information sharing through its task forces and working groups. It also provides critical training to Indian Country law enforcement, in partnership with the Department of Justice and Bureau of Indian Affairs.

FBI Agent in New Mexico (Landscape View)

Protecting tribal communities is a little known—but highly important—responsibility of the FBI. We’ve been helping to ensure safety and security in Indian Country since our founding in 1908.

Overview 

There are about 574 federally recognized American Indian Tribes in the U.S., and the FBI has federal law enforcement responsibility on nearly 200 Indian reservations. This federal jurisdiction is shared concurrently with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services.

The FBI develops and implements strategies, programs, and policies to address crime in Indian Country, for which the FBI has responsibility.

The FBI's role in Indian Country includes:

  • Program management
  • Support for operational and forensic expenses
  • Training of Indian Country law enforcement officers
  • Initiatives related to missing and murdered Indigenous persons, domestic violence, and sex offenses
  • Reporting under the Tribal Law and Order Act

Among the FBI's partners on Indian Country matters are

  • the Department of Justice,
  • the Bureau of Indian Affairs,
  • the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and
  • the National Indian Gaming Commission.

Case Types 


Approximately 75% of the crimes the FBI investigates in Indian Country are:

  • Death investigations
  • Physical abuse of a child
  • Sexual abuse of a child
  • Violent felony assaults
  • Rape

The FBI’s Victim Services Division has victim specialists dedicated to Indian Country, representing about one-third of the entire FBI victim specialist workforce. These victim specialists are critical to FBI Indian Country cases, assisting victims throughout the entire case process.

Training 


The FBI works with the Department of Justice and Bureau of Indian Affairs to provide training for federal, state, county, and tribal law enforcement officers.

The FBI typically supports the following courses for Indian Country law enforcement personnel:

  • Indian Country criminal investigator training
  • Death investigations
  • Child physical and sexual abuse investigations
  • Adult physical and sexual assault investigations
  • Gang and drug trafficking investigations
  • Public corruption investigations
  • Financial crime investigations
  • Crime scene management and evidence collection
  • Crisis negotiation and tactical training
  • Child forensic interviewing
  • Interviewing and interrogation

Indian Country News & Multimedia 

Check out the stories, press releases, videos, and other information on our Indian Country News page. 

Victims

Victims

The FBI is committed to ensuring that victims receive the rights they are entitled to and the assistance…

Indian Country in Judicial Districts

Indian Country in Judicial Districts

Census Bureau map detailing Indian Country across the United States.

External Links & Resources