DOE Engineer Charged in Houthi Support Case

Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, 51, a Department of Energy electrical engineer from Richland, Washington, was arrested by the FBI on Thursday and charged with attempting to provide material support to the Houthis, which the United States designates as a foreign terrorist organization. He faces up to 20 years if convicted and is due in federal court Friday. The FBI alleges he purchased precursor chemicals including acetone and sodium bisulfate, acquired drone components, and discussed communications assistance with informants, including one posing as a Houthi colonel. Investigators say he traveled in September 2025 through Oman toward Yemen on a passport issued during prior U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employment, hoping to reach Houthi-controlled Sanaa for government-level contacts, but did not reach the city. Authorities say he told Customs and Border Protection officers the trip was official U.S. government missile-defense inspection business; his DOE supervisor told the FBI he knew of no such trip or program. John Eisenberg, who leads the Justice Department's National Security Division, said the allegations "are so deeply disturbing that they almost defy imagination." Court records identified no attorney for him. His first appearance is Friday.