Federal prosecutors have charged a Louisiana man with participating in Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel and then traveling to the United States on a fraudulent visa, according to newly unsealed court documents.
Mahmoud Amin Yaqoub 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 U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.
Al-Muhtadi allegedly coordinated “a group of armed fighters” to cross into Israel after hearing about the Hamas attack, according to court documents. He told one of the men to “bring the guns” and the other to “get ready.” He also sent messages requesting ammunition and a bulletproof vest for another man.
Al-Muhtadi’s phone rang on a nearby cell tower Kibbutz Kfar Aza At approximately 10:01 a.m. on Oct. 7, 2023, a few hours after the attack began, the documents said. Kibbutz Kfar Azza is located a few miles from the Gaza border. Court documents said 60 people were killed there and 19 were kidnapped. More than 1,200 people were killed in Israel and 250 were taken hostage during the attack. The documents do not accuse Al-Muhtadi of any murders or specific crimes.
Al-Muhtadi allegedly coordinated “a group of armed fighters” to cross into Israel within hours of hearing about the Hamas attack, according to court documents. He told one of the men to “bring the guns” and the other to “get ready.” He also sent messages requesting ammunition and a bulletproof vest for another man.
Court documents said that Al-Muhtadi applied for a US visa in June 2024. He said in the application that he was not a member or representative of a terrorist organization, that he had no specialized skills or training, including the use of firearms, and had never participated in terrorist activities.
He met with a U.S. Embassy consular official 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, the documents said. Pictures posted by Al-Muhtadi on social media show him carrying a gun in his apartment in Tulsa.
United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana
In early 2025, FBI agents located Al-Muhtadi living in Lafayette, Louisiana, where he worked at a local restaurant.
A person bearing the name and date of birth of Al-Muhtadi was being held at the St. Martin Correctional Center near Lafayette, according to the British newspaper “Daily Mail”. Online records. He was booked into the facility on Thursday. He made his first court appearance on Friday, according to court records. Online records did not indicate whether he had an attorney.
Federal prosecutors have Six senior Hamas leaders have previously been accused With at least 43 American citizens killed on October 7. Among the accused was the former Hamas leader Yahya Al-SanwarWho was martyred in October 2024.