Energy Department Employee Arrested for Allegedly Trying to Aid Iran-Backed Houthis

A U.S. Department of Energy employee was arrested and charged on Oct. 1 with attempting to aid the Iran-aligned Houthi terrorist group, following an FBI investigation.

The Department of Justice announced that Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, a 51-year-old Department of Energy employee and resident of Richland, Washington, was arrested and charged on Thursday with “attempting to provide material support or resources to the Houthis.” The Houthis, a foreign terrorist organization, have recently made major territorial gains in Yemen.

“As alleged, a U.S. government employee traveled overseas and used his specialized expertise in an attempt to aid the Houthis, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization backed by Iran,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg said in a statement. “These allegations are so deeply disturbing that they almost defy imagination.”

Citing court records, the Justice Department said Ellaboudy came to the FBI’s attention after he purchased precursor chemicals, components, and materials typically used to build homemade explosive devices. Investigators also discovered that Ellaboudy had purchased parts used to build drones and remotely operated aerial systems.

FBI officials alleged that Ellaboudy took sick leave from his employment in December 2024 after claiming he had been exposed to highly concentrated nitric acid, which is commonly used to construct explosive materials.

Ellaboudy allegedly used an official passport given to him under his previous employment with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to travel from Richland to Oman in September 2025. Officials said he also used the passport to enter Yemen with the intent of traveling to the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, which has been under Houthi control since 2014.

After returning to the United States, Ellaboudy told U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers that his overseas travel had been part of official government business. However, Ellaboudy’s Energy Department supervisor said he was not authorized for official government travel in that region, according to the Justice Department.

During the FBI’s investigation into the Energy Department employee, Ellaboudy communicated with a confidential human source. The FBI source claimed to be working for a Houthi “colonel” to obtain communications equipment for use in a mobile communications center in Yemen.

The Justice Department alleged that Ellaboudy used his electrical engineering experience to provide “expert advice and assistance” to the FBI source. Ellaboudy also allegedly helped test and modify communications equipment and solar power generators, provided diagrams and schematics for the systems, conducted research, and offered guidance on additional equipment in an effort to aid the Houthis.

The case against Ellaboudy was investigated by the FBI’s Inland Northwest Joint Terrorism Task Force. The Energy Department employee could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Ellaboudy was scheduled to appear before a federal magistrate judge in Richland, Washington, on Oct. 2 at 11:00 a.m.

The Epoch Times was unable to reach Ellaboudy’s legal representative in time for publication, as court records do not list an attorney to speak on his behalf.

Ray Geimer, office manager of the Department of Energy Hanford Field Office, said Ellaboudy did not attempt to harm the Hanford site, where he was employed, or its workforce. Geimer added that there was never any threat to the safety or security of the location.

In March 2025, the Trump administration officially redesignated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization after the terrorist group’s initial designation was reversed by the Biden administration over humanitarian aid concerns.

Over the past few weeks, the Houthis have made multiple territorial gains in Yemen, positioning the Iran-aligned group to have significant control of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. About 15 percent of the world’s maritime trade typically passes through the key waterway each year.

The Houthis have also repeatedly launched strikes against Saudi Arabia after declaring a naval blockade against the country in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in July.

The Houthi advances come after months of disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz, another key waterway for trade in the region, as a result of the conflict between the United States and Iran.