The FBI on Thursday arrested a Department of Energy employee at the Hanford nuclear site in Washington state on charges of attempting to provide material support to the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist group in Yemen, the Justice Department announced.
Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, 51, of Richland, Washington, was taken into custody after authorities say he tried to help the Houthis upgrade their communications capabilities, purchased materials for homemade explosives and drones, and even traveled to Yemen. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
“Ellaboudy acquired materials for the construction of explosive material and drones capable of delivering these explosives,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg. “These allegations are so deeply disturbing that they almost defy imagination.”
The FBI began investigating Ellaboudy after receiving information that he had bought precursor chemicals and components commonly used in improvised explosive devices. The probe also uncovered purchases of parts for drones and remotely operated aerial systems.
According to court documents, in December 2024 Ellaboudy took sick leave from his DOE job, claiming he had been exposed to highly concentrated nitric acid—a chemical often used in explosives. Then, in September 2025, he used an official passport from his previous employment with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to travel from Richland to Oman, crossing into Yemen with the alleged intent of reaching Sanaa, the Houthi-controlled capital. Upon his return, Ellaboudy told Customs and Border Protection officers he had been on official government business, though his DOE supervisor said no such travel was authorized.
During the investigation, Ellaboudy communicated with an FBI source posing as a Houthi colonel, offering to acquire communications equipment for a mobile communications center in Yemen. The Justice Department says he provided expert advice based on his electrical engineering background, helping test and modify solar power generators and communication gear. He also supplied schematics and diagrams for integrating power and communication systems and researched additional equipment to enhance Houthi communications.
The Houthis, an Iranian proxy, have recently seized towns and islands along Yemen’s western coast, tightening their grip on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. While the rebels have reportedly assured the Trump administration they will not attack U.S. ships in the Red Sea, they have continued targeting Saudi Arabia with drones and ballistic missiles, prompting Riyadh to request U.S. strikes—pleas Trump has so far rejected.
Hanford, established in the 1940s for the Manhattan Project, is now the site of a massive nuclear cleanup effort, housing nearly 200 tanks with 57 million gallons of high-level radioactive waste from weapons production. The DOE stressed that Ellaboudy never posed a threat to the site or its workforce.
The arrest underscores growing concerns about insider threats and the potential for U.S. personnel to aid foreign adversaries. It also comes amid heightened scrutiny of Iran-backed groups and their global support networks. As the case proceeds, questions remain about how Ellaboudy allegedly exploited his security clearances and technical expertise.
