The FBI has arrested Louisiana resident Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub Al-Muhtadi for allegedly taking part in Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel and for lying on his US visa application.
According to an FBI criminal complaint unsealed this week, Al-Muhtadi armed himself and organised a group to cross from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel during the attack, which left more than 1,200 people dead. Hamas fighters also kidnapped over 250 people, including dozens of American citizens.
This week, Hamas released the remaining 20 hostages following a tenuous ceasefire in the Palestinian territory.
Al-Muhtadi was an operative of the Gaza-based military wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the complaint, prepared by FBI Supervisory Special Agent Alexandria M. Thoman O’Donnell, states. O’Donnell serves on a task force investigating the murder and kidnapping of American citizens during the 2023 attack.
On his US visa application, Al-Muhtadi denied any involvement in terrorist activities and became a legal permanent resident in 2024. He could face charges of visa fraud and conspiring to provide support for a foreign terrorist organisation. He was arrested on Thursday, according to the Justice Department.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the department remains “dedicated to finding and prosecuting those responsible for that horrific day, including the murder of dozens of American citizens.”
She added, “We will continue to stand by Jewish Americans and Jewish people around the world against anti-Semitism and terrorism in all its forms.”
Inmate records indicate a man of the same name and age is being held at St. Martin Parish Correctional Center near Lafayette. He was scheduled to appear in federal court on Friday morning.
No attorney has been identified for him in court filings. The FBI declined to provide further details, citing the ongoing government shutdown.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry posted on X that Al-Muhtadi might be transferred to the newly opened immigration detention wing at the state’s maximum-security facility, joking, “Perhaps this is Louisiana Lockup’s newest resident?”
The FBI said Al-Muhtadi’s social media and email accounts revealed a long-standing affiliation with a Hamas-aligned paramilitary group, including firearms training.
On the morning of October 7, 2023, after Hamas forces attacked Israel, military commander Mohammed Deif called for “the masses” to join in.
Al-Muhtadi instructed associates to “get ready” and “bring the rifles,” stating, “there is kidnapping, and it’s a game, which will be a good one,” according to phone calls reviewed by the FBI. He also asked for ammunition.
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The FBI said Al-Muhtadi coordinated a group to enter Israel, and his phone pinged a cell tower near Kfar Aza, an Israeli village where dozens were killed and approximately 19 kidnapped.
In June 2024, Al-Muhtadi submitted an electronic US visa application in Cairo, denying any paramilitary involvement or engagement in terrorism. He listed his intended residence as Tulsa, Oklahoma, and work in “car repairs or food services.” He entered the United States in September 2024.
He lived in Tulsa until May 2025 and relocated to Lafayette in early June, where he worked in a local restaurant. The FBI says an unidentified agent repeatedly met with him from July to September.
The complaint said an associate advised Al-Muhtadi to avoid contacting members of the paramilitary group or posting on social media in support of Hamas, warning he was under surveillance.
Al-Muhtadi allegedly replied that he could post freely, including images of Hamas leaders, claiming he would be safe.
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