FBI Arrests Hanford Nuclear Site Engineer Charged With Attempting to Aid Houthis

A Department of Energy electrical engineer has been arrested on federal charges of attempting to provide material support to the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, the Justice Department announced Thursday. Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, 51, of Richland, Washington, was taken into custody and is scheduled to make his first appearance before a federal magistrate judge Friday morning in Richland. Prosecutors say he used his specialized engineering expertise on the terrorist group's behalf, buying precursor chemicals for homemade explosives and parts for drones. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.

The charge lands at a delicate moment for U.S. national security, as the Houthis press a renewed offensive across Yemen and American forces remain locked in a wider standoff with Tehran. Officials described the case as an example of an insider threat caught early by federal investigators.

What Investigators Say Ellaboudy Did

The FBI opened its inquiry after learning that Ellaboudy had purchased precursor chemicals and components commonly used to build homemade explosive devices, including acetone and sodium bisulfate, along with parts used for drones and remotely operated aerial systems, according to a criminal complaint. In December 2024, investigators learned that he had taken sick leave from his Energy Department job and claimed it was caused by exposure to highly concentrated nitric acid, a chemical frequently used in explosives.

Roughly nine months later, in September 2025, Ellaboudy traveled from Richland to Oman using an official passport issued to him years earlier during his employment with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. From Oman he crossed the border into Yemen, aiming to reach Sanaa, the capital, which is controlled by the Houthis. He never made it to the city, authorities said.

When he returned to the United States, Ellaboudy told Customs and Border Protection officers that he had been overseas on official government business and was part of a mission to inspect missile defense systems. His Energy Department supervisor later told investigators that he knew of no authorized international travel for Ellaboudy and no such missile inspection program. That discrepancy became a central thread in the FBI's case.

A Houthi Colonel and a Communications Scheme

During the investigation, the FBI introduced a confidential source into the case who presented himself as someone working for a Houthi colonel seeking communications equipment for a mobile command center in Yemen. Ellaboudy allegedly embraced the opening, providing expert advice and hands-on help testing and modifying solar power generators and communications gear.

Investigators say he supplied schematics and diagrams for properly integrating the power and communications systems, and researched additional equipment that could strengthen the group's networks. He also told the source that he had been smuggled into and out of Yemen and had hoped to reach the capital to make government-level connections, according to the affidavit.

The complaint does not allege that Ellaboudy obtained classified material or passed national security secrets to the group. Instead, prosecutors say his value to the Houthis was technical: a trained engineer who could help a militia improve the reliability of the electronics it depends on in a war zone.

"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," said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. "These allegations are so deeply disturbing that they almost defy imagination."

Arrest at a Sensitive Nuclear Site

Ellaboudy worked at the Hanford Site in Washington state, a sprawling former nuclear production complex now at the center of one of the nation's largest environmental cleanup efforts. The FBI's Inland Northwest Joint Terrorism Task Force handled the arrest.

The Energy Department's Hanford Field Office moved quickly to reassure the public, saying the matter did not involve any attempt to harm the site or its workforce. "At no time was there a threat to the safety or security of the site," said Office Manager Ray Geimer. The statement underscores the sensitivity of insider threats at facilities that handle sensitive materials and technology.

The arrest comes as the Houthis have escalated their campaign across Yemen, including their capture of the Red Sea port city of Mocha, a move that tightened their grip on one of the world's most important shipping corridors. Investigators have not alleged that Ellaboudy took part in any attack, only that he tried to strengthen the group's ability to operate.

What Happens Next

Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of Washington, working with the Justice Department's National Security Division, are handling the case. "This individual allegedly betrayed the U.S. and attempted to aid the Houthis," said Jarod Brown, assistant director of the FBI's Counterterrorism Division, crediting agents with detecting the activity and taking the suspect into custody.

The Houthis are a designated foreign terrorist organization, and providing them material support is a federal crime. Officials stressed that the charges are allegations and that Ellaboudy is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. His first court appearance, set for Friday, will begin the process of assigning counsel and setting the conditions of his release or detention.

For the Trump administration, the case is a fresh illustration of its push to treat terrorist financing and support networks as a top-tier enforcement priority. Officials framed the swift arrest as proof that the government is watching for internal threats as closely as external ones -- and that, in their words, anyone who tries to help a designated terrorist group will be found and stopped.