A U.S. Department of Energy employee has been arrested and charged with attempting to provide material support to the Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen, according to federal prosecutors.
Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, 51, of Richland, Washington, was taken into custody on October 1 following an investigation by the FBI’s Inland Northwest Joint Terrorism Task Force. Prosecutors allege that Ellaboudy used his background in electrical engineering to assist the Houthis with communications equipment while also acquiring components associated with drones and homemade explosives.
The case has drawn attention because Ellaboudy was employed by the Department of Energy and, according to prosecutors, allegedly traveled to Yemen and represented the trip to U.S. border officials as official government business.
The charges remain allegations, and Ellaboudy is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
What federal investigators allege
According to the criminal complaint and the Justice Department, the FBI became interested in Ellaboudy after receiving information about purchases of precursor chemicals, components and other materials that can be associated with homemade explosive devices.
Investigators also allegedly discovered purchases of parts used in drones and remotely operated aerial systems.
The complaint says that in December 2024, Ellaboudy took sick leave from his government position and said he had been exposed to highly concentrated nitric acid. Prosecutors noted that the chemical can be used in the manufacture of explosive materials.
In September 2025, investigators allege that Ellaboudy traveled from Richland to Oman using an official passport that had previously been issued during his employment with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Prosecutors say he subsequently crossed into Yemen with the intention of reaching Sanaa, the Houthi-controlled capital.
After returning to the United States, authorities allege that Ellaboudy told Customs and Border Protection officers that his trip had been connected to official government business and involved inspecting missile-defense systems.
His DOE supervisor subsequently told investigators that Ellaboudy had not been authorized to undertake such government travel, according to the FBI affidavit.
Alleged communications and technical assistance
The investigation later involved an FBI confidential human source who purported to represent a Houthi “Colonel.”
According to prosecutors, the source sought communications equipment that could be sent to Yemen for use in a mobile communications center.
Ellaboudy allegedly used his electrical-engineering experience to help test and modify solar generators and communications equipment. Investigators also allege that he provided advice about integrating power and communications systems, prepared schematics and diagrams, and researched additional equipment that could improve Houthi communications capabilities.
The FBI also alleges that Ellaboudy told informants he had been smuggled into and out of Yemen and hoped to reach Sanaa to establish higher-level connections. According to investigators, he ultimately did not reach the capital.
Federal officials respond
Justice Department officials described the allegations as a national-security matter.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said Ellaboudy allegedly used specialized expertise as a U.S. government employee in an effort to assist a group designated by the United States as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
FBI Counterterrorism Division Assistant Director Jarod Brown said investigators detected the alleged activity and arrested Ellaboudy before the alleged effort could progress further.
The Department of Energy, meanwhile, emphasized that the case did not involve an attempt to attack the Hanford Site or its workforce.
Hanford Field Office Manager Ray Geimer said there was no threat to the site’s safety or security.
Why the Houthi connection matters
The Houthis, formally known as Ansar Allah, are a Yemen-based movement that has received support from Iran and has been designated by the U.S. government as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
The group has been involved in attacks using missiles and drones and has targeted shipping in and around the Red Sea. The conflict in Yemen has also involved competing regional and international interests for more than a decade.
The allegations against Ellaboudy therefore involve more than an ordinary attempt to provide unauthorized technical assistance. Prosecutors are accusing him of attempting to support an organization that is subject to U.S. terrorism-related restrictions.
What happens next
Ellaboudy was scheduled to make his initial appearance before a federal magistrate judge in Richland, Washington, on October 2 at 11 a.m.
If convicted of attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, according to the Justice Department.
The next stages of the case will determine whether prosecutors can substantiate the allegations contained in the criminal complaint and what evidence emerges regarding Ellaboudy’s alleged travel, purchases and communications.
