FBI Director Achieves Milestone in DNA Backlog Reduction

FBI Director Kash Patel announced this week that the agency has successfully eliminated a backlog of DNA samples that once numbered over 1.8 million, and they accomplished this feat in less than a year and a half.

This backlog included DNA collected from federally convicted offenders, arrestees, and non-citizen detainees as mandated by the DNA Fingerprint Act of 2005, which directs that these samples be sent to the FBI Laboratory Division for analysis. Patel marked this significant achievement with the Lab Division team over the weekend, as noted by the FBI’s Office of Public Affairs.

In remarks shared with Breitbart News, Patel associated the backlog with previous leadership and praised his team for their efforts in addressing it.

This was yet another example of institutionalized bureaucracy from prior leadership that left crimes across America unsolved. When we got here, there had been a backlog nearly 2 million samples—literally breaking statutory requirements and hindering the FBI’s work—and we immediately got to work.

The FBI processes approximately 50,000 samples each month. These samples are entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), where they are matched against DNA evidence from unsolved homicides, mass shootings, and sexual assaults.

Patel mentioned that following his appointment, the bureau took decisive action to combat the issue with enhanced resources.

“This FBI dedicated more resources, more equipment, improved IT systems, and used business analytics for DNA processing—and thanks to incredible work from our Lab team the backlog is officially at zero,” Patel stated.

In a separate statement released in August, Patel noted that the backlog initially stood at more than 1.81 million samples and was increasing by about 75,000 samples each month. “DNA profiles belong in CODIS helping law enforcement solve crimes—not stalled in a government backlog,” he commented.

The bureau’s fiscal year 2027 budget request highlighted that the CODIS processing backlog hit 1.8 million by the end of fiscal 2024, citing that ongoing increases in sample volume outstripped the resources available for the DNA program.

Patel reiterated this figure during a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing in September, informing lawmakers that the Lab Division had faced a backlog exceeding 1.8 million samples for years before his leadership, and that now it stands at zero. Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) referenced FBI data indicating an 80 percent increase in criminal arrests and a 90 percent rise in violent crime arrests during Patel’s time as director.

This announcement coincides with the FBI reporting a significant decline in violent crime. In August, the bureau announced that the murder and non-negligent manslaughter rates fell by an estimated 18.1 percent in 2025, marking the largest annual decrease in violent crime since the agency began tracking national statistics in 1936.