FBI arrests Energy Department employee on charge of trying to support Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen
Authorities say the engineer bought explosive-making chemicals and drone parts and offered technical help in an alleged effort to assist the Houthis.
- On Thursday, federal authorities arrested Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, a Department of Energy electrical engineer from Richland, Washington, and charged him with attempting to provide material support to the Houthis, an Iran-backed designated foreign terrorist organization.
- Investigators allege Ellaboudy purchased precursor chemicals and drone parts, then traveled to Oman in September 2025 to reach Sanaa, Yemen, while providing technical communications assistance to a confidential source posing as a Houthi colonel.
- Upon returning to the United States, Ellaboudy claimed his overseas travel was for official government business, though his supervisor disputed this; the Department of Energy's Hanford Field Office stated his conduct posed no threat to the Hanford Site.
- Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg described the allegations as "so deeply disturbing that they almost defy imagination," while Ellaboudy faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if convicted.
- Scheduled for a federal magistrate judge appearance this Friday, Ellaboudy remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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51-year-old US Energy Dept official arrested for allegedly aiding Yemens Houthis - The Tribune
The United States Department of Justice has arrested a 51-year-old employee of the US Department of Energy on Thursday (local time) for allegedly attempting to provide material support or resources to Yemen's Houthis, Al Jazeera reported.
He is suspected of buying explosives materials and of having travelled to the Yemeni capital on an alleged "official business" trip, in addition to having contacted an alleged official of a Houthi colonel.
Energy Department employee charged with attempting to support Houthis
An employee for the Department of Energy was charged with allegedly attempting to provide material support or resources to the Houthis, the Department of Justice announced on Thursday. Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, a 51-year-old resident of Richland, Washington, is accused of helping the foreign terrorist organization by acquiring materials for homemade explosives and drones and by […]
DOE Employee Arrested In Alleged Houthi Terror Plot Involving Drones And Explosives – 100PercentFedUp.com – by Donald
A Department of Energy employee is accused of trying to aid Iran-backed Houthi terrorists with drone components, explosive materials and technical expertise.
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