Louisiana man connected to Hamas

Federal prosecutors have charged a man in Louisiana with participating in the Hamas terrorist attack against Israel on October 7, 2023 and then traveling to the United States on a fraudulent visa, according to newly unsealed court documents.

Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub al-Muhtadi, 33, was allegedly part of the National Resistance Brigades, the military wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a paramilitary group that fought alongside Hamas and participated in the 2023 attack, according to the documents.

Al-Muhtadi was charged with providing, attempting to provide or conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and fraud and misuse of a visa or other documents. The charges were filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.

Al-Muhtadi allegedly coordinated a “group of armed fighters” to cross into Israel after learning of the Hamas attack, according to court documents. He told one man to “bring the rifles” and another to “get ready.” He also sent messages asking for ammunition and a bulletproof vest for another man.

Al-Muhtadi’s phone rang a nearby cell tower Kibbutz Kfar Aza around 10:01 a.m. on October 7, 2023, according to the documents, a few hours after the attack began. Kibbutz Kfar Aza is just a few kilometers from the Gaza border. Sixty people died there and 19 were kidnapped, according to court documents. More than 1,200 people in Israel were killed and 250 taken hostage during the attack. The documents do not accuse al-Muhtadi of any murder or any specific crime.

Al-Muhtadi allegedly coordinated a “group of armed fighters” to cross into Israel within hours of learning of the Hamas attack, according to court documents. He told one man to “bring the rifles” and another to “get ready.” He also sent messages asking for ammunition and a bulletproof vest for another man.

Al-Muhtadi allegedly submitted a U.S. visa application in June 2024, according to court documents. In the application, he said he was not a member or representative of a terrorist organization, had no specialized skills or training, including the use of firearms, and had never participated in terrorist activities.

He met with a consular official at the U.S. Embassy in August and entered the United States through Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on Sept. 12, 2024, according to the documents. He lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for several months, according to the documents. Photos shared by al-Muhtadi on social media show him posing with a gun in his Tulsa apartment.

In early 2025, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation located al-Muhtadi living in Lafayette, Louisiana, where he worked at a local restaurant.

A person with al-Muhtadi’s name and date of birth was being held at St. Martin Parish Correctional Center near Lafayette, according to online records. He was admitted to the facility on Thursday. He made his initial court appearance Friday, according to court records. Online records did not make clear whether he had a lawyer.

Federal prosecutors have He previously charged six senior Hamas leaders. with the deaths of at least 43 US citizens on October 7. Among those charged was former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwarwho was killed in October 2024.

In:

• Hamas
• Israel
• Loop
• Louisiana