02-10-2026
A Department of Energy electrical engineer, Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, 51, of Richland, Washington, was arrested by the FBI on charges of providing material support to the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. According to the Justice Department and an FBI affidavit, investigators allege that Ellaboudy bought chemicals used in homemade explosives and components for drones, and sought to help the Houthis improve their communications capabilities. He allegedly traveled to Yemen last September, using a passport issued during his earlier work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reach Oman, which borders Yemen.
Authorities say Ellaboudy told U.S. border officials that he was returning from a work trip and had participated in a government mission to inspect missile defense systems. His supervisor, investigators say, knew of no such travel or Energy Department inspection program. An FBI affidavit also says Ellaboudy told informants that he had been smuggled into and out of Yemen and had hoped to reach the capital, Sanaa, to establish government-level connections, but did not make it there. During the investigation, he allegedly communicated with several informants, including one posing as a Houthi colonel, and advised on communications equipment.
Ellaboudy is charged under a law prohibiting material support to groups designated by the United States as foreign terrorist organizations; the Houthis are designated as such. He was scheduled to make his first court appearance on Friday, and court records did not identify an attorney available to comment on his behalf. The Justice Department said he faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. The article also places the allegations against the backdrop of renewed fighting in Yemen between the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces, which has killed hundreds and displaced tens of thousands.
Entities: Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Department of Justice, Houthi rebels • Tone: neutral • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
02-10-2026
A U.S. Department of Energy employee from Richland, Washington, has been arrested and charged with attempting to provide material support to the Iran-backed Houthi movement, which the United States designates as a foreign terrorist organization. The Justice Department alleges that 51-year-old Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy tried to use his electrical engineering expertise to help the group improve mobile communications, test solar generators, modify power systems, and obtain components for drones and chemicals used to make explosives.
According to prosecutors, Ellaboudy drew FBI attention after buying precursor chemicals and drone parts. In 2024, he reportedly took sick leave from his DOE job, saying he had been exposed to highly concentrated nitric acid, a chemical used in explosives manufacturing. In 2025, authorities allege, he traveled from Washington state to Oman using a passport from his former position with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, then crossed into Yemen. After returning, he allegedly told border officers that his travel was authorized government business.
Investigators also say Ellaboudy advised an undercover FBI source posing as a representative of a Houthi colonel. The FBI’s Inland Northwest Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the case. DOE officials said the alleged conduct did not involve an effort to harm the Hanford Site or threaten its employees or security. Ellaboudy faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison if convicted and was scheduled to appear in federal court in Richland on October 2. The charges are allegations, and the article does not report a conviction.
Entities: Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Justice (DOJ), FBI, Inland Northwest Joint Terrorism Task Force • Tone: neutral • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
02-10-2026
The US Justice Department says Ashton Ellaboudy, a veteran employed at the Department of Energy’s Hanford Field Office in Washington state, has been arrested on suspicion of providing material support to Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The Houthis are designated as a foreign terrorist organisation by the United States. Ellaboudy was expected to appear in court on Friday, October 2, 2026, according to the article, which was published the previous day.
Authorities allege that Ellaboudy travelled to Yemen and used his specialised expertise to assist the group. The accusations include acquiring materials that could be used to build explosives for attack drones and helping improve the Houthis’ communications. The FBI reportedly began investigating after receiving information that he had purchased precursor chemicals and other items commonly used to make homemade explosive devices. The complaint also says he took sick leave in December 2024, claiming exposure to a chemical associated with explosive construction.
According to the Justice Department, Ellaboudy travelled from Richland, Washington, to Oman in September 2025 using an official passport previously issued during his employment with the US Army Corps of Engineers. He allegedly then used the passport to cross into Yemen, intending to travel to the Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa. Prosecutors say he communicated with a senior Houthi figure who was actually an FBI source, discussing communications equipment for the group.
Assistant Attorney General John Eisenberg described the allegations as deeply disturbing. The Department of Energy’s Hanford Field Office said the alleged activities did not involve an attempt to harm the site or its workforce. If convicted, Ellaboudy faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The allegations are claims in a criminal complaint; the article does not report a conviction.
Entities: Ashton Ellaboudy, John Eisenberg, US Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of Energy Hanford Field Office • Tone: neutral • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
02-10-2026
Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, a 51-year-old electrical engineer with the US Department of Energy, was arrested on charges of providing material support to Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement, which the United States designates as a foreign terrorist organization. The Justice Department said he was arrested in Washington state and was expected to make his first court appearance the following day. The article reports that court records did not identify an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
According to an FBI affidavit, Ellaboudy traveled to Yemen in September of the previous year, allegedly intending to help the Houthis improve their communications capabilities. Investigators say he used a passport issued during earlier work with the US Army Corps of Engineers to travel through Oman and enter Yemen. On returning to the United States, he allegedly told border officials that he had been on a work trip in Oman and involved in a government mission inspecting missile-defense systems. His supervisor reportedly told investigators he knew of neither the trip nor any such Energy Department program involving Ellaboudy.
The FBI investigation also focused on alleged purchases of precursor chemicals, including acetone and sodium bisulfate, which can be used in homemade explosives, as well as drone components. Ellaboudy allegedly communicated with FBI informants, including one posing as a Houthi colonel, and offered help and advice concerning communications equipment. He reportedly said he had been smuggled into and out of Yemen and hoped to reach Sanaa to establish contacts with the Houthi authorities, but did not reach the city.
Ellaboudy is charged under a law prohibiting material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison. The article also provides background on the Houthis’ 2014 seizure of Sanaa and parts of Yemen, the Saudi-led intervention that followed, and the continuing violence and displacement caused by the conflict.
Entities: Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, US Department of Energy, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), US Department of Justice, US Army Corps of Engineers • Tone: neutral • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
