Federal agents have arrested a man in Louisiana accused of taking part in Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel, according to court documents.
According to Fox News, Mahmoud Amin Ya-qub Al-Muhtadi, a resident of Lafayette, Louisiana, is charged with providing material support or attempting to provide support to a foreign terrorist organization, along with visa fraud and misuse of official documents, according to an FBI affidavit.
Investigators allege Al-Muhtadi was a member of both Hamas and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine’s (DFLP) armed wing, the National Resistance Brigades (NRB), and that he helped coordinate NRB fighters who joined Hamas units during the assault.
“Evidence shows that on the morning of October 7, 2023, Al-Muhtadi learned about the Hamas invasion, armed himself, gathered others and crossed into Israel with the intention of assisting in Hamas’s terrorist attack,” the affidavit states.
Cell-tower data reportedly placed his phone inside Israel near Kibbutz Kfar Aza, one of the locations hit during Hamas’ deadly incursion.
Authorities say intercepted communications captured Al-Muhtadi discussing the movement of fighters and weapons into Israel and celebrating the kidnappings that took place that day.
Investigators also said photos and videos from around the time of the attack show him wearing combat gear, carrying weapons, and standing with armed militants — sometimes displaying NRB insignia and Hamas-style headbands. He allegedly praised the violence on social media afterward, posting messages that celebrated Hamas’s actions and referred to the “liberation of occupied land.”
In addition to terrorism-related charges, Al-Muhtadi is accused of immigration fraud.
“Evidence further shows that Al-Muhtadi provided false information in his U.S. Visa application relating to his involvement with a paramilitary organization, connection to Hamas, participation in a terrorist attack, and military training,” the affidavit says.
The document adds that “as a result of that false application, Al-Muhtadi was able to obtain permission to travel to the United States and obtain Legal Permanent Resident status.”
Al-Muhtadi was living and working in Lafayette, Louisiana, at the time of his arrest. He is expected to make his initial court appearance Friday morning, according to The New York Times.
