FBI arrests Energy Department employee on charge of trying to support Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen
An electrical engineer at the U.S. Department of Energy has been arrested for allegedly attempting to provide support to Houthi rebels in Yemen. The suspect reportedly sought to improve the group's communication capabilities and purchased materials for explosives and drones.
Why it matters
The case highlights concerns regarding insider threats and the potential for government employees to misuse technical expertise to aid foreign militant groups.
A Department of Energy electrical engineer has been arrested on charges of providing support to the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, including by buying materials for homemade explosives and drones and travelling to Yemen, the Justice Department said on Thursday (October 1, 2026).
Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, 51, of Richland, Washington, was arrested on Thursday (October 1, 2026) and is due to make his first court appearance Friday. Court records do not list an attorney available to speak on his behalf.
The FBI says Ellaboudy had a goal of helping the Houthis improve their communications capabilities and traveled last September to Yemen, where the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces are now engaged in renewed violence that has killed hundreds and displaced tens of thousands. The conflict began in 2014 when the Iran-backed rebels took over the capital, Sanaa, forcing the country's government to settle into exile in Saudi Arabia.
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