A man who lives in South Central Louisiana is now in jail on federal charges that he helped Hamas perpetrate the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, killing several American citizens in the process.
According to court documents filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Mahmoud Al-Muhtadi, a resident of Lafayette, is accused of "providing, attempted to provide, or conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. The filing also accuses Al-Muhtadi of "fraud and misuse of visa, permits, and other documents," alleging that he lied on his United States visa application about his connections to Hamas, his military training, and his "participation in a terrorist attack."
The filing accuses Al-Muhtadi of being an operative for the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine's military wing, an organization with known ties to Hamas and its leaders. According to the FBI agent who filed the criminal complaint, Al-Muhtadi learned about the Hamas attack against Israel on the morning it happened. That's when, the agent claims, Al-Muhtadi "armed himself, gathered others, and crossed into Israel with the intention of assisting in Hamas's terrorist attack." The agent says cell tower records show that Al-Muhtadi was in the area of one of the Kibbutz Kfar Aza, where Hamas murdered 60 people and kidnapped 19 more. Four American citizens were among the dead, while one American citizen was among the kidnapped.
The FBI agent's filing also notes that Al-Muhtadi communicated with others on social media about participating in attacks on Israel and about his ties to the DFLP. Those emails and messages, the agent said, included several photos of Al-Muhtadi participating in firearms training and handling rifles and documents confirming his ties to the paramilitary organization.
According to the FBI agent, Israel's government provided the United States Government with information that pinpointed Al-Mutadi's ties to the DFLP and to the October 7 attack.
The FBI Agent says Al-Muhtadi came to the United States on September 12, 2024 via Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport after he lied on his visa application. According to the agent, Al-Muhtadi falsely stated that he did not have any "specialized skills or training" with guns or explosives, that he never served in a paramilitary or insurgent group, and that he didn't engage in or support terrorist activities. The application also stated that Al-Muhtadi inteded to live in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to work in "car repairs or food services."
Federal agents tracked him down to Lafayette, where he was found to be working at a local restaurant.
Al-Mutahdi is being held in the St. Martin Parish Jail in St. Martinville, about 15 miles outside of Lafayette. No word on when he will make his first court appearance.
"U. S. prosecutors and law enforcement have extraterritorial jurisdiction in cases where a U. S. national is the victim," Loyola University of New Orleans law professor Dane Ciolino said, noting that federal prosecutors could try this case as a capital offense. "That's something that's going to have to be approved by the attorney general herself, but it is certainly something that is possible given that a murder was involved."