Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, 51, of Richland, Washington, was taken into custody Thursday by the FBI on charges of providing material support to the Iran‑backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The arrest followed a probe that uncovered his purchase of precursor chemicals, such as acetone and sodium bisulfate, and drone components that could be used to build improvised explosives.
Ellaboudy, an electrical engineer with the U.S. Energy Department, allegedly used a passport issued during a stint with the Army Corps of Engineers to travel to Oman and then Yemen in September 2025. He reportedly told U.S. Customs and Border Protection that he was on a work mission inspecting missile‑defence systems, a claim his supervisor says he never authorised.
The FBI says he also offered the Houthis technical advice on communications equipment, claiming he could help them establish contacts in the capital Sanaa. The Houthi insurgency seized Sanaa and much of Yemen in 2014, sparking a Saudi‑led coalition that has since fueled widespread displacement and violence.
Ellaboudy faces up to 20 years in federal prison under the Material Support Statute if convicted. He is scheduled to appear before a federal magistrate on Friday, with prosecutors likely to seek a pre‑trial detention order.
The case underscores how individuals with government credentials can be drawn into foreign conflicts. For the 30,000 Yemenis displaced by the war, the arrests of foreign supporters may bring a sliver of hope that the international community will pressure the Houthis to negotiate.