The Briefing:
- Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, 51, a Department of Energy electrical engineer from Richland, Washington, was arrested October 1, 2026, on a single federal charge of attempting to provide material support to the Houthis, an Iran-backed group formally designated a foreign terrorist organization on March 5, 2025.
- Federal investigators allege Ellaboudy purchased explosive precursor chemicals and drone components, traveled to Yemen using a government passport, paid approximately $1,400 to be smuggled across the Oman-Yemen border, and later provided military communications guidance to an FBI undercover operative posing as an aide to a Houthi colonel.
- If convicted on the single count, Ellaboudy faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison; officials confirmed his alleged conduct bore no connection to the Hanford nuclear cleanup site where he was employed.
A federal electrical engineer who held an active position with the U.S. Department of Energy was taken into custody Thursday morning in Richland, Washington, on a federal charge of attempting to transfer material support to the Houthis — an Iran-aligned militant movement that Washington formally redesignated as a foreign terrorist organization on March 5, 2025.
A Federal Employee With an Alleged Secret Agenda
Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, 51, stands accused of turning his engineering expertise and federally issued credentials against the country that employed him. Prosecutors in the Eastern District of Washington, as outlined in the Justice Department's official announcement, allege he worked to enhance the Houthis' mobile communications network, acquired chemical precursors linked to homemade explosive manufacturing, and purchased components commonly used in building armed drones capable of delivering those explosives.
The arrest was executed by the FBI's Inland Northwest Joint Terrorism Task Force following an investigation that authorities say revealed a sustained and deliberate effort to assist a designated enemy of the United States from a position of government trust.
Explosive Chemicals, Drone Parts, and a Suspicious Leave Request
Federal investigators first focused on Ellaboudy after receiving intelligence indicating he had purchased precursor chemicals and parts associated with the construction of homemade explosive devices and drone systems, according to court records unsealed by the Justice Department. The case deepened considerably in December 2024, when Ellaboudy filed for sick leave from his DOE position, claiming accidental exposure to highly concentrated nitric acid — a compound with documented applications in explosive manufacturing. Far from resolving investigators' concerns, the explanation added a new layer of suspicion to an individual already under federal scrutiny.
A Government Passport and a Smuggled Border Crossing Into Yemen
In September 2025, Ellaboudy departed Washington state for Oman, traveling on an official government passport previously issued to him during a stint with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Upon arriving in Oman, he used that same document to cross into Yemen. According to the FBI affidavit reviewed by multiple news organizations, Ellaboudy paid approximately $1,400 to be smuggled across the Oman-Yemen border. His stated objective was to reach Sanaa, Yemen's capital and the seat of Houthi control since 2014, with the aim of forging direct connections within the organization. Prosecutors say he did not reach the capital during this trip.
The Cover Story That Unraveled Immediately
When Ellaboudy returned to the United States, he told U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers that the journey had been official government travel — specifically, participation in a DOE mission related to missile defense systems in Oman, according to the FBI affidavit as reviewed by the Associated Press. That account collapsed almost immediately: investigators contacted his DOE supervisor, who confirmed that Ellaboudy had no authorization for any government travel to the region and was not assigned to any such program.
The FBI Sting: An Undercover Operative Closes the Net
During the ongoing investigation, federal agents introduced a confidential human source into Ellaboudy's orbit — an undercover operative posing as an aide working on behalf of a Houthi colonel who was seeking communications equipment for a mobile operations center. What followed, according to the DOJ's press release, was an extended period of technical cooperation. Ellaboudy provided the undercover source with electrical engineering guidance: testing and modifying solar power generators, explaining how power and communications systems should be properly integrated, producing circuit schematics for equipment configuration, and researching additional hardware to expand the Houthis' field communications reach.
Officials Describe the Allegations as 'Deeply Disturbing'
The Justice Department's National Security Division was direct in its public response to the arrest. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg, cited in the agency's official announcement, called the allegations "so deeply disturbing that they almost defy imagination," referencing both the travel to Yemen and the acquisition of materials for explosive delivery systems. Assistant Director Jarod Brown of the FBI's Counterterrorism Division said the bureau's surveillance work had uncovered the alleged scheme and led to Ellaboudy's detention before the effort could provide the Houthis with any meaningful operational advantage.
The Hanford Nuclear Site Was Never at Risk
Because Ellaboudy held a position within the Department of Energy — the federal agency responsible for overseeing the Hanford Site, the nation's largest and most complex nuclear remediation project, located adjacent to Richland — officials moved rapidly to address community concern. DOE Hanford Field Office Manager Ray Geimer confirmed that Ellaboudy's alleged conduct had no bearing on the site whatsoever and that its safety and security were never compromised at any point during the investigation. The Hanford Site, established during World War II as part of the Manhattan Project and expanded through the Cold War, spans 580 square miles of eastern Washington and supports approximately 13,000 contractor and subcontractor workers engaged in the ongoing cleanup of the nation's most contaminated nuclear facility.
A 20-Year Maximum and a Case That Will Reshape Security Reviews
Ellaboudy faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years on the single charge of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. He made his initial appearance Friday morning before a federal magistrate judge in Richland.
The case stands apart from prior Houthi-related prosecutions, which have largely involved foreign nationals intercepted at sea or weapons smugglers operating abroad. This may be one of the first instances in which an active U.S. federal employee allegedly traveled in person to Houthi-controlled territory and subsequently engaged in targeted technical assistance through a federal undercover operation — a development that is expected to prompt fresh scrutiny of security vetting and counterintelligence screening procedures across the Department of Energy and broader intelligence community.
