The FBI on Thursday arrested a Department of Energy (DOE) employee at the Hanford, Wash., nuclear site under suspicion of trying to aid the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist group in Yemen, according to the Justice Department.

Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, 51, of Richland, Wash., was charged with “attempting to provide material support or resources to the Houthis” after he tried to help the group improve its communications capabilities, purchased materials for homemade explosives and drones and even traveled to Yemen, the department said. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

“Ellaboudy acquired materials for the construction of explosive material and drones capable of delivering these explosives,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg said in a statement. “These allegations are so deeply disturbing that they almost defy imagination.”

The FBI began to look into Ellaboudy after they received information that he had purchased precursor chemicals, components, and other materials commonly used in the construction of homemade explosive devices. Their investigation also found he had purchased parts used to build drones and remotely operated aerial systems.

According to court documents, the FBI alleges that in December 2024 Ellaboudy took sick leave from his employment, “claiming that it was due to having been exposed to highly concentrated nitric acid, a common chemical used in the construction of explosive materials,” the Justice Department said.

Then in September 2025, Ellaboudy, using an official passport previously issued to him when employed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, traveled from Richland to Oman where he then crossed the border into Yemen. His alleged intent was to travel to Sanaa, the country’s capital which is under the control of the Houthis. Upon returning to the United States, Ellaboudy told U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers that he had traveled overseas on official government business, even though his DOE supervisor said he did not have any authorized official government travel to that region.

During the FBI’s investigation, Ellaboudy began communicating with a bureau source who claimed to be working for a Houthi “Colonel” to acquire communications equipment that would be sent to Yemen for use in a mobile communications center. “Ellaboudy provided expert advice and assistance, based upon his background in electrical engineering,” by helping the source test and modify solar power generators and communication equipment, the department said. “Additionally, Ellaboudy provided guidance on how the power systems and communication system integrated, provided schematics and diagrams for the proper setup of the systems, and conducted research and provided guidance on other equipment that could be acquired to enhance the communications equipment of the Houthis,” according to the federal agency.

An Iranian proxy, the Houthis last month seized several towns and islands along Yemen’s western coast, which are crucial to controlling the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. While the rebels have reportedly reassured the Trump administration that they won’t attack U.S. ships in the Red Sea, they have targeted Saudi Arabia with drones and ballistic missiles, prompting the kingdom to ask President Trump to launch strikes on the Houthis. Trump so far has rebuffed such pleas.

Hanford is the site of a costly and longstanding nuclear cleanup effort after it was originally established in the 1940s for the Manhattan Project. The complex now houses nearly 200 tanks containing 57 million gallons of high-level nuclear waste left over from weapons production. The DOE stressed that Ellaboudy did not attempt to harm the Hanford site or its workforce, and at no time was there a threat to the safety or security of the location.