The FBI arrested a Department of Energy employee Thursday on federal charges of attempting to provide material support to the Houthis, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization backed by Iran.

Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, 51, of Richland, Washington, was taken into custody at his home and charged with attempting to provide personnel, services, expert advice, and resources to the group. He is scheduled to appear before a federal magistrate judge on Friday at 11 a.m. in Richland.

According to the Justice Department, Ellaboudy, an electrical engineer at the Hanford nuclear site, purchased precursor chemicals and components used in homemade explosives and drones. He also traveled to Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen last September using an official passport issued during prior employment with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Court records state that Ellaboudy told U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers upon his return that the trip was for official government business, a claim disputed by his DOE supervisor. The investigation began after the FBI received information about his purchases of materials such as nitric acid, ammonium nitrate, and drone parts between late 2024 and early 2025.

During the probe, Ellaboudy communicated with an FBI confidential human source posing as an associate of a Houthi colonel. He allegedly provided expert advice based on his electrical engineering background, including testing and modifying solar power generators and communication equipment, supplying schematics and diagrams, and researching additional gear to enhance the group's capabilities.

"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. "Additionally, Ellaboudy acquired materials for the construction of explosive material and drones capable of delivering these explosives. These allegations are so deeply disturbing that they almost defy imagination."

FBI Counterterrorism Division Assistant Director Jarod Brown added that Ellaboudy allegedly betrayed the United States but was stopped through FBI efforts.

The Houthis, formally known as Ansarallah, were designated a foreign terrorist organization by the United States, with the designation reinstated in 2025. The group has conducted attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and maintained control over parts of Yemen amid ongoing conflict.

Ellaboudy faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if convicted. No attorney was listed in initial court records.