FBI Arrests U.S. Energy Employee Over Alleged Houthi Support
A U.S. Department of Energy employee has been charged with attempting to support the Houthis through alleged technical assistance, drone materials and travel to Yemen.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - A U.S. Department of Energy employee has been arrested and charged with attempting to provide material support to the Houthis after federal investigators alleged that he traveled to Yemen, purchased materials associated with homemade explosives and drones, and used his engineering expertise to help improve the group's communications capabilities.
The U.S. Justice Department said Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, 51, of Richland, Washington, was arrested on Thursday, Oct. 1.
He is scheduled to make his initial appearance before a federal magistrate judge in Richland on Friday, Oct. 2.
The criminal complaint contains allegations that have not been proven in court. Ellaboudy is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
According to the Justice Department, Ellaboudy came to the attention of the FBI after authorities learned that he had purchased precursor chemicals, components and other materials commonly used in homemade explosive devices.
Investigators also found that he had acquired parts used to build drones and remotely operated aerial systems.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said prosecutors allege that Ellaboudy used specialized expertise in an attempt to assist the Houthis, which the United States designates as a foreign terrorist organization.
The Justice Department also alleges that Ellaboudy traveled overseas and later provided technical assistance related to communications equipment.
The investigation traced some of the activity back to December 2024.
According to the complaint, the FBI learned that Ellaboudy had taken sick leave from work after saying he had been exposed to highly concentrated nitric acid, a chemical that can be used in the preparation of explosive materials.
In September 2025, authorities allege that Ellaboudy used an official passport previously issued to him while he worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to travel from Washington state to Oman.
He then crossed from Oman into Yemen with the intention of traveling to Sanaa, the Houthi-controlled capital, according to the complaint.
When he returned to the United States, investigators say Ellaboudy told Customs and Border Protection officers that the trip had been official government business.
The Justice Department said his Department of Energy supervisor later told investigators that Ellaboudy had no authorized government travel to the region.
Associated Press reporter Eric Tucker reported that Ellaboudy allegedly told FBI informants he had been smuggled into and out of Yemen and had hoped to reach Sanaa to establish high-level contacts, although he was ultimately unable to reach the capital.
Federal investigators also allege that Ellaboudy later began communicating with an FBI confidential human source who claimed to be working for a Houthi "Colonel."
According to the complaint, the discussions centered on acquiring communications equipment that would eventually be sent to Yemen for use in a mobile communications center.
Authorities allege that Ellaboudy applied his electrical-engineering experience to help test and modify solar generators and communications systems.
He also allegedly advised the source on how power and communications systems should be integrated, supplied diagrams and schematics, and researched additional equipment that could enhance the system.
FBI Counterterrorism Division Assistant Director Jarod Brown said investigators believe Ellaboudy sought to assist the Houthis in improving their communications capability while also purchasing equipment and materials linked to explosives and drones.
The Department of Energy, however, stressed that the case did not involve a threat against the Hanford Site in Washington, where Ellaboudy worked.
Ray Geimer, manager of the Department of Energy's Hanford Field Office, said there had been no attempt to harm either the facility or its workforce and that the site's safety and security were never threatened.
The FBI's Inland Northwest Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the case.
Prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Cartier-Giroux for the Eastern District of Washington and Trial Attorneys Patrick Cashman and Ryan White of the Justice Department's National Security Division Counterterrorism Section.
If convicted of attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, Ellaboudy could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The case now moves to federal court, where prosecutors will have to prove the allegations contained in the complaint beyond a reasonable doubt.