Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, a 51-year-old DOE electrical engineer from Richland, Washington, was arrested on federal charges alleging he attempted to provide material support to the Houthi rebel group. Investigators say he purchased explosive precursors and drone parts, traveled to Oman and entered Yemen in September 2025 using an official passport, and later advised an FBI informant who posed as a Houthi "Colonel." The FBI's Inland Northwest Joint Terrorism Task Force is leading the probe; prosecutors say he faces up to 20 years if convicted.
DOE Electrical Engineer Arrested Over Alleged Plot To Aid Houthi Terror Group
(Dreamstime)
A Department of Energy electrical engineer, Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, 51, of Richland, Washington, was arrested Wednesday on federal charges alleging he attempted to provide material support to the Houthi rebel movement, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization, the Justice Department said.
Federal court records say Ellaboudy came to investigators' attention after the FBI identified purchases of precursor chemicals, components and other items commonly used to build improvised explosive devices, along with parts for drones and remotely operated aerial systems. In December 2024, he reportedly took sick leave from his DOE post claiming exposure to concentrated nitric acid, a chemical that can be used in explosive manufacture.
According to charging documents, in September 2025 Ellaboudy traveled from Washington state to Oman using an official passport he had obtained while serving with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, then crossed into Yemen with the stated intent of reaching Sanaa, the capital controlled by the Houthis. Upon return to the United States, he told Customs and Border Protection officers the trip was official government business; his DOE supervisor told investigators he had no authorized travel to that region.
Investigators allege Ellaboudy later exchanged messages with an FBI confidential informant posing as a Houthi "Colonel." Court filings assert he provided technical assistance leveraging his electrical engineering expertise: testing and modifying solar power generators and communications equipment, supplying schematics and diagrams, advising on integration of power and comms systems, and researching additional gear that could enhance the group's communications capabilities.
The investigation was led by the FBI's Inland Northwest Joint Terrorism Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Cartier-Giroux alongside two trial attorneys from the Justice Department's National Security Division. If convicted, Ellaboudy faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
Department of Energy Statement: The DOE Hanford Field Office said the probe did not involve any attempt to harm the Hanford site or its workforce and that there was no threat to site safety or security.
Authorities continue to review evidence and have not yet proven the charges in court. The government provided the details in a Justice Department press release; court proceedings are pending.
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