FBI Now Investigating Montana Juveniles’ Machete Attack on 11-Year-Old

Last week, I shared a story with you regarding an incident between Montana juveniles that left an 11-year-old in the hospital needing surgery on their right knee due to "deep lacerations."

Now, the case is getting even more attention... only this time it's from federal authorities.

Poplar Juveniles Attack 11-Year-Old Boy with Machete

In case you missed it last week, Fort Peck Tribal Law Enforcement shared they had two juveniles, a 12-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl, in custody following an attack on an 11-year-old boy with what was later reported to be a machete.

"On Monday, March 30th, 2026, law enforcement responded to a report of an incident between a number of juveniles in the Poplar area," Fort Peck Tribal Law Enforcement said on their Facebook page at the time, "The incident was also recorded and displayed on social media."

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"At this time, two juvenile suspects have been arrested and are in custody, and the incident is currently under investigation. There is no threat to the community."

FBI Agents Investigate Poplar Incident

Now, federal authorities are reportedly taking a closer look at the case according to a report from The Journal, LLC

A series of violent incidents across the Fort Peck Reservation over the past week - including a machete assault involving juveniles ... are now under investigation by the FBI, according to available information.

If the suspects are already in custody and all of the evidence is on video, what else could federal agents do or offer to the investigation?

Why the FBI Would Be Interested in the Montana Machete Attack

For starters, attempted murder is a felony and when the crime takes place on a reservation, federal authorities are going to take a closer look.

As reported by KLTZ, it's not uncommon for the FBI to aid tribal police with serious crimes like attempted murder. And it's not like the movies where the two agencies "argue" about who "the crime scene belongs to" or anything like that.

They simply exchange resources when necessary and of course, provide resources for a more thorough investigation than what the Fort Peck Tribal Law Enforcement probably has access to.

READ MORE: Montana Juveniles Arrested, Could Face Attempted Murder Charges 

But because this went from a tribal investigation to a federal investigation, there's no question these two juveniles are facing some serious consequences.

Outside of that, we have to essentially wait and see. Many folks in the media are a bit limited on what court information they can access due to this case involving minors. We'll keep you posted as best we can!