The FBI arrested a Department of Energy (DOE) employee Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, at the Hanford nuclear site in Washington. Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, 51, of Richland, Wash., is charged with attempting to provide material support or resources to the Houthis. The Justice Department alleged that Ellaboudy attempted to assist the group with communications capabilities, drone materials, and homemade explosives.
The investigation began after the FBI received information that Ellaboudy had purchased precursor chemicals and components used for homemade explosives and remotely operated aerial systems. Court documents allege that in December 2024, Ellaboudy took sick leave from his position, claiming exposure to nitric acid, which the Justice Department noted is a common chemical for constructing explosives.
In September 2025, Ellaboudy allegedly used an official passport from his previous employment with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to travel from Richland to Oman and then across the border into Yemen. Upon his return, he reportedly told U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers he had been on official government business, a claim his DOE supervisor denied. The FBI further alleges Ellaboudy communicated with a bureau source, providing electrical engineering advice on solar power generators and mobile communications centers for the Houthis.
Ellaboudy faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if convicted. The arrest occurs during a period of regional tension in Yemen, where Houthis recently seized towns and islands along the western coast near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Although the group has reportedly told the Trump administration they will not target U.S. ships, they have targeted Saudi Arabia with drones and ballistic missiles. Saudi Arabia has requested U.S. military strikes, which President Trump has so far declined.
The Justice Department's use of a bureau source to document the exchange of technical schematics and solar power guidance indicates a focus on non-financial material support. Ellaboudy was arrested on Oct. 1, 2026, and the next steps include federal court proceedings.