A 51-year-old U.S. Department of Energy employee in Richland, Washington, was arrested Oct. 1 and charged with allegedly attempting to provide material support to the Houthis, an Iran-backed group designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization. Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy is scheduled to appear before a federal magistrate judge on Oct. 2.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI began investigating Ellaboudy after receiving information that he had purchased precursor chemicals and other materials allegedly used to construct homemade explosives, as well as components for drones and remotely operated aerial systems. Investigators also allege that he used an official passport to travel from Washington to Oman and then enter Yemen in September 2025.

Prosecutors further allege that Ellaboudy later communicated with an FBI confidential source posing as someone working for a Houthi “colonel.” Investigators say he provided technical assistance related to solar power generators and communications equipment, including advice, diagrams and research intended to improve a mobile communications system.

The FBI’s Inland Northwest Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the case, while local law enforcement assisted with a search warrant in south Richland. The arrest took place near Hazelwood Avenue and Oxford Avenue, where Richland police and other agencies responded to the operation.

The Department of Energy’s Hanford Field Office said the investigation did not involve an attempt to harm the Hanford Site or its workforce and that there was no threat to the facility’s safety or security. If convicted, Ellaboudy could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The charges are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.