rki.news | Sources Anadolu
WASHINGTON: A US Department of Energy electrical engineer has been arrested for allegedly supporting Yemen’s Houthis by purchasing materials for homemade explosives and drones and traveling to Yemen, according to US media reports citing the Justice Department.
Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, 51, of Richland, Washington, was arrested Thursday and was due to make his first court appearance Friday, CBS News reported.
The FBI alleges that Ellaboudy sought to help the Houthis improve their communications capabilities and traveled to Yemen last September.
According to the Justice Department, Ellaboudy used a passport issued during his work with the US Army Corps of Engineers to travel to Oman, which borders Yemen.
Ellaboudy faces charges under US law concerning the provision of material support to organizations designated by Washington as foreign terrorist organizations. The Houthis are subject to that designation under US law.
If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison, according to the Justice Department.
Yemen has remained in conflict since the Houthis seized Sanaa and several provinces in 2014. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 in support of Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
US Energy Engineer Arrested Over Alleged Houthi Support
