Iron Pursuit Rescues 200+ Child Victims, Nets 350+ Arrests
by Federal Bureau of Investigation
May 19, 2026

Operation Iron Pursuit ... a FBI-led law enforcement action conducted in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and our local, state, federal, and community partners ... resulted in the arrest of over 350 alleged child exploitation predators and the location of more than 200 child victims.

The operation took alleged sex traffickers, abusers, kidnappers, and child sexual abuse material manufacturers, owners, and distributors off the street, DOJ announced.

“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,” said FBI Director Kash Patel in a press release about the effort.

The Bureau executed this effort across all 56 of its field offices throughout April 2026.

Building On Past Successes

The FBI’s Criminal Division led the operational sprint at the Headquarters level, casting high-level vision for the overall effort, explained Section Chief Dan Costin. Costin leads the division’s Violent Crime Against Children and Human Trafficking Section.

Operation Iron Pursuit built on three similar sprints from 2025: Operation Restore Justice, Operation Enduring Justice, and Operation Relentless Justice.

“We called it Iron Pursuit to show the unyielding, unbending focus that we have on this effort,” Costin explained. “We really want that message to go out that we're not going to slow down. We're not going to stop. We're going to continue pressing on and looking to [identify] and locate would-be perpetrators of this really heinous violation.”

The FBI timed Operation Iron Pursuit for the month of April to commemorate and raise awareness about National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Field Office Empowerment

The Criminal Division aspired to make at least 200 arrests across the country in the course of the crackdown ... a goal that it far exceeded.

Each of the Bureau’s 56 field offices was empowered to brainstorm and execute its own localized strategy for rooting out crimes against children in the communities it serves.

“We allowed the field to really prioritize which targets they were looking at,” Costin said. “They’re going to know their AORs [areas of responsibility]. They’re going to know their subjects much better than we do here at Headquarters, so we allowed them to set their priorities.”

For example, FBI Philadelphia supported this operational sprint by targeting alleged producers of CSAM and individuals who allegedly crossed state lines to engage in the sexual exploitation of children, explained Supervisory Special Agent Glenn Booth. Booth leads the Philadelphia Division’s squad that investigates crimes against children and human trafficking.

“We targeted individuals ... many of whom have multiple victims ... not just regionally, but victims around the country,” Booth said.

The effort, which ultimately aimed to build criminal cases against as many alleged offenders as possible, resulted in 13 arrests and the identification of at least six child victims, Booth said.

Assisting Victims

Personnel from the Bureau's Victim Services Division (VSD) also provided critical support to Operation Iron Pursuit by interviewing victims, referring them to relevant support resources, and coordinating with partners.

“Our victim service providers are available, responsive, and engaged as they assist the victims, families, and communities impacted by these crimes,” said FBI Victim Services Division Assistant Director Shohini Sinha.

“We have specially trained personnel located throughout the country to ensure that during this operation and all year round, victims and their families are immediately supported by someone with knowledge of their community and available resources who can help them navigate the aftermath of these crimes with dignity and resilience.”

A Year-Round Charge

Costin stressed that Operation Iron Pursuit was a microcosm of the Bureau’s 24/7, 365 dedication to protecting children from abuse and exploitation.

“We do this day-in and day-out,” Costin said. “So, it's a sprint in the sense that we are collecting and coalescing these operations into a package, but our investigators are out there operating at this tempo regularly. They're out there finding these subjects and helping these children every day.”

And, Costin stressed, anyone who learns or suspects that a child has been abused or exploited should contact local law enforcement or the FBI immediately.

“We encourage the public to come forward when they learn of these violations because we want to get after these predators who are looking to do harm to the kids, and we absolutely want to keep our children safe,” Costin said. “And if they remain in these situations, then they’re just under that continued threat of continued exploitation, and the only way that is going to stop is if some action is taken and they’re able to be removed from that threat.”

You can submit tips to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or by visiting tips.fbi.gov. You may share information with the Bureau anonymously.

You can also visit fbi.gov/vcac to learn more about the Bureau’s Violent Crimes Against Children Program and access resources for keeping your kids safe.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) | U.S. Department of Justice