Federal worker accused of trying to help Houthi terrorists

The Justice Department on Thursday arrested Ashton Ellaboudy, 51, a Department of Energy employee, on charges of attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization. Ellaboudy, who lives in Richland, Wash., allegedly attempted to help the Houthis upgrade their communications system. The Houthis, also known as Ansarallah, are a U.S.-designated foreign terror organization controlling parts of Yemen. Ellaboudy is considered legally innocent until proven guilty in court. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.

The FBI first flagged Ellaboudy’s behavior when he bought chemicals and other materials commonly used in homemade explosives, according to the Justice Department. He also purchased parts for building drones and remotely operated aerial systems, the department said. In 2025, Ellaboudy traveled to Oman, then crossed the border into Yemen. He allegedly planned to travel to the country’s Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa. The Justice Department said he falsely told U.S. customs officials that the trip was for official government business.

An undercover FBI agent posed as a Houthi operative and began communicating with Ellaboudy, asking him to help with plans for a mobile communications center in Yemen. Ellaboudy helped the agent test and modify solar power generators and communication equipment and created schematics for setting up the systems, according to the Justice Department.

The Justice Department said Ellaboudy worked at the Energy Department’s Hanford site, a decommissioned nuclear plant undergoing long-term cleanup efforts. His actions didn’t involve an attempt to harm the site or pose a threat to its workforce, Hanford office manager Ray Geimer said, according to the Justice Department.

Dig deeper: Read Liz Lykins’ report on increasing deployments of U.S. troops to the Middle East.