The U.S. Department of Justice announced that Ashton Hamad Al-Aboudi, a 51-year-old employee of the Department of Energy, was arrested on charges of attempting to provide material support to Yemen’s Houthis.

Al-Aboudi was detained on Thursday, the ninth of Mehr, at the Hanford nuclear facility in the state of Washington. Officials say he obtained drone components and chemical materials usable in the construction of explosives, and provided technical advice to strengthen the Houthis’ communications systems.

According to court documents, FBI investigations began after identifying purchases of chemical materials, drone components, and related items. Al-Aboudi also traveled to Oman and then to Yemen in September 2025 using an official passport, and after returning, described the trip as a government mission.

The Department of Justice said that, going further, he cooperated with a confidential FBI source who identified himself as being affiliated with a “colonel” of the Houthis, regarding communications equipment and power-supply systems.

The Department of Energy emphasized that the case was not connected to an effort to damage the Hanford facilities. The charges have not yet been proven, and if convicted, Al-Aboudi could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.