Two Maryland Men Charged in Connection With Justice Department’s Operation Iron Pursuit

Baltimore, Maryland - Two Maryland men face indictment for child sexual abuse crimes stemming from the Department of Justice's Operation Iron Pursuit.

Tarif Jahmil Alston, 43, of Baltimore, and Gleybar Josue Ramirez-Clemente, 21, of Frederick, are charged with sexually exploiting children. Operation Iron Pursuit commenced April 1 and ended April 30.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictments with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche; FBI Director Kash Patel; Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office; and Clinton J. Fuchs, U.S. Marshal for the District of Maryland (USMS).

The Department announced the results from the one-month, nationwide enforcement effort to find child victims of sex abuse and arrest child sex predators. Law enforcement located more than 200 child victims and arrested more than 350 child sexual abuse offenders. All 56 FBI field offices and U.S. Attorneys' offices around the country participated in the coordinated takedown effort. The Administration for Children and Families recognized April as National Child Abuse Prevention MonthLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..

"This operation puts every child predator on notice: we are coming for you," Blanche said. "The sexual exploitation of minors is an abomination with no place in our society. We will hunt down these offenders, hold them fully accountable under the law, and deliver justice for victims."

"Every single day this FBI is working 24/7 to break networks of child abusers all across this country," Patel said. "Last year we joined our partners delivering a record year, identifying and rescuing over 6,300 missing children, and today's announcement of Operation Iron Pursuit is just the latest success in that work - with over 200 victims located and over 350 offenders arrested. Let this be a message to criminal actors who seek to target America's children: you will be pursued, and you will be brought to justice."

"One of our highest priorities is protecting the most vulnerable members of our community. Operation Iron Pursuit underscores the Department of Justice and our office's commitment to relentlessly pursuing and prosecuting individuals who exploit and abuse our children, and ensuring victims are safely returned to their loved ones," Hayes said. "We will continue working closely with our community and law enforcement partners to secure justice for every victim."

"Operation Iron Pursuit is another example of how our Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force is working to protect children across Maryland," Paul said. "Together with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney's Office, we are taking dangerous child predators off the streets to face justice in federal court."

"The success of this operation was the result of effective cooperation among federal, state, and local law enforcement, and I am grateful for the hard work and dedication by the deputies who took part," Fuchs said. "The recovery of critically missing children and the pursuit of child predators is a top priority of the Marshals Service and operations like this one serve as a reminder that we will not rest until fugitive sex offenders are brought to justice and missing children are reunited with their families."

Alston, a previously convicted sex offender, is charged with five counts of receipt of child sexual abuse material, two counts of distribution of child sexual abuse material, and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material.

Ramirez-Clemente is charged with sexual exploitation of a child, coercion and enticement, and possession of child sexual abuse material.

An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Other individuals arrested allegedly committed various crimes, including sexual exploitation, sex trafficking, abuse, kidnapping, and possessing, distributing, or receiving child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). Some of the alleged offenders include:

• A Columbus, Ohio, man who pleaded guilty to creating AI-generated obscene material of adults and children and to cyberstalking exes;
• A District of Columbia man charged with producing child pornography;
• A New York man charged with sexually exploiting a child; and
• A Pennsylvania man and former felon charged with sexually exploiting a child and illegally possessing a gun.

Additionally, a victim recovered includes a 10-year-old from Utah who was flown from Cuba back home to reunite with the child's biological mother. The child was supposed to be on a camping trip with a transgender parent, partner, and another child. The group instead flew from Canada to Mexico and then to Cuba; concerns existed that the 10-year-old child was taken to Cuba for gender reassignment surgery. FBI Victim Services Division (VSD) assisted with the recovery of the children, providing crisis support and stabilization.

This effort follows three other successful operations last year. Operation Relentless Justice, which concluded in December 2025, resulted in the rescue of 205 children and arrests of 293 offenders. Operation Enduring Justice, which concluded in August 2025, resulted in the rescue of 133 children and the arrests of 234 offenders. Additionally, Operation Restore Justice, which concluded in May 2025, resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sex abuse offenders.

The FBI's VSD assisted victims during Operation Iron Pursuit and provided services such as forensic interviews, referrals for medical and mental health resources, and coordination with partners. VSD's mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience.

The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.orgLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..

The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Maryland; State's Attorney's Office for Baltimore City; State's Attorney's Office for Frederick County; Baltimore Police Department; and Frederick Police Department for their work on the Maryland investigations.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md.

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