FBI examining: Up to 20 years in prison for government employee suspected of aiding the Houthis | Report

The FBI arrested Ashton Hamed Al-Aboudi, a 51-year-old electrical engineer from the U.S. Department of Energy, on suspicion of aiding the Houthi rebels in Yemen. According to the suspicion, Al-Aboudi purchased materials for making explosives, used a special passport to cross into Oman and from there to Yemen, and lied to authorities upon his return. He is charged with material support for terrorism and faces up to 20 years in prison.

The FBI arrested Ashton Hamed Al-Aboudi, a 51-year-old electrical engineer from Washington, an employee of the U.S. Department of Energy, on suspicion of aiding the Houthi rebels in Yemen. According to the suspicion, Al-Aboudi purchased chemical materials used for making improvised explosive devices, including acetone and sodium bisulfate, as well as parts for unmanned aerial vehicles. Last September, he used a special passport issued during his service in the U.S. military to cross into Oman, which borders Yemen, and from there into Yemen itself. Upon his return to the U.S., he told customs officials that he was sent by the state to oversee missile defense systems, but his superiors denied this to FBI investigators. Al-Aboudi was recorded telling investigators that he was smuggled into and out of Yemen, and that he hoped to reach Sanaa to establish contacts at the government level, but failed. He is charged with providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and faces up to 20 years in prison. The Department of Justice stated that "the allegations are so disturbing that they surpass all imagination."