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A U.S. Department of Energy employee from Richland, Washington, was arrested Thursday after federal prosecutors accused him of trying to provide “material support” to the Iran-backed Houthi movement, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, 51, allegedly tried to draw on his electrical engineering experience to help the designated terrorist organization strengthen mobile communications, obtain secure drone components and acquire chemicals for improvised explosives.
“The allegations indicate that a U.S. government employee traveled abroad and attempted to use specialized knowledge to assist the Houthis, an Iran-backed group designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said.
Eisenberg added that Ellaboudy allegedly obtained supplies for making explosives and drones capable of carrying them, calling the accusations “so deeply disturbing that they almost defy imagination.”
A Houthi supporter attends a pro-Iran demonstration in Sanaa, Yemen, April 6, 2026. (Khaled Abdullah/Reuters)
Ellaboudy was arrested following an investigation led by the FBI’s Inland Northwest Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Court documents state that investigators began focusing on Ellaboudy after he allegedly purchased precursor chemicals and other materials commonly associated with homemade explosives, along with parts that could be used to assemble drones.
The DOJ also alleges that Ellaboudy took medical leave from his Energy Department position in 2024, claiming he had been exposed to highly concentrated nitric acid, a substance used in the manufacture of explosives.
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Houthi supporters rally in solidarity with Iran during a two-week U.S.-Iran ceasefire in Sanaa, Yemen, April 10, 2026. (Khaled Abdullah/Reuters)
Prosecutors say Ellaboudy used an official passport from his former position with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2025 to travel from Washington state to Oman.
From Oman, he allegedly entered Yemen. When he later returned to the United States, investigators say he told border officials that the trip had been conducted as authorized government business.
According to investigators, Ellaboudy also provided guidance to an undercover FBI confidential source who was posing as an associate of a Houthi colonel.
His alleged assistance included testing solar generators, altering power systems, drafting circuit diagrams and supporting the Houthis’ communications capabilities, the DOJ said.
The U.S. Department of Energy headquarters is shown June 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
“This individual allegedly betrayed the United States and sought to assist the Houthis, a designated foreign terrorist organization,” said Jarod Brown, assistant director of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. Brown credited FBI personnel with uncovering the alleged conduct and placing Ellaboudy in custody.
Authorities stressed that the investigation found no indication that Ellaboudy’s alleged actions were aimed at nearby nuclear facilities.
“This matter did not involve an effort to damage the Hanford Site or endanger its workforce, and there was never a threat to the site’s safety or security,” said Ray Geimer, office manager of the Department of Energy’s Hanford Field Office.
If convicted, Ellaboudy could receive a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
He is scheduled to make his initial court appearance before a federal magistrate judge at 11 a.m. Oct. 2 in Richland, according to the Justice Department.