ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, Alexander M.M. Uballez, has announced the appointment of Assistant United States Attorney Eliot Neal to the role of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) AUSA for the Southwest Region. This region encompasses the Districts of New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. AUSA Neal is one of five MMIP AUSAs tasked with providing specialized support to United States Attorneys' offices to address and combat issues related to MMIP. This support includes aiding in the investigation of unresolved MMIP cases and associated crimes while fostering communication, coordination, and collaboration among federal,
t Tribal, local, and state law enforcement agencies and non-governmental partners regarding MMIP concerns.
According to the US Attorney’s Office, Neal was chosen for the MMIP AUSA position based on his extensive background and experience. His proven success as the District's Tribal Liaison to the Mescalero Apache Tribe, coupled with his ability to develop positive professional and personal relationships, has positioned him as a valuable asset for this new role.
Neal's upbringing in Wilson, Wyoming, placed him at the crossroads of multiple Indigenous tribes, including the Crow, Gros Ventre, Blackfeet, Nez Perce, Bannock, Eastern Shoshone, and Sheep Eaters tribes. Growing up close to the modern-day Wind River and Fort Hall reservations, Neal gained early exposure to both the cultural significance and challenges faced by Indigenous Americans.
After completing his undergraduate degree at Middlebury College and law school at Emory University, Neal embarked on his legal career with Cooley LLP in Palo Alto, California. There, he worked in the business litigation group, specializing in securities litigation for major public technology companies. Driven by a desire to serve the public on a more personal level, Neal transitioned from securities litigation to become an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico in the Las Cruces Branch Office in 2022.
During his tenure at the USAO, Neal worked on diverse cases, including child exploitation, gun crimes, and crimes in Indian Country. Recently, he was appointed as the District's Tribal Liaison to the Mescalero Apache Tribe. In this role, Neal successfully reestablished the district’s relationship with the tribe after a fifteenyear hiatus, creating one of the strongest government- to-government connections between the district and tribal leadership in the state. His experience as a Tribal Liaison has provided him with deeper insights into the issues affecting tribal communities, particularly the persistent cycles of physical and sexual violence, drug and alcohol addiction, and poverty, which disproportionately impact close-knit families and communities. He has also explored ways in which the U.S. Attorney's Office can better serve these communities and deliver justice.
Commenting on his new role, Neal expressed his eagerness to contribute to the Department of Justice's response to the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous persons. He shared a personal connection to the issue, having lost his own brother, and conveyed his commitment to assisting impacted individuals in finding closure and justice within the MMIP crisis. Neal looks forward to collaborating with tribal and law enforcement partners throughout the Southwest region as he undertakes this important mission.
'I am excited to be joining the Department of Justice's response to the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous persons,' Neal said. 'After losing my own brother, I know how devastating it is to have a loved one taken from you. In my new role, I will do everything I can to help bring about closure and justice to those impacted by the MMIP crisis. I look forward to working with tribal and law enforcement partners throughout the Southwest region and can't wait to get to work!'