Hamas fighters also kidnapped more than 250 people, including dozens of US citizens, during the raid.
On his US visa application, al-Muhtadi denied he had ever been involved in terrorist activities and became a legal permanent resident in 2024, the complaint says.
Al-Muhtadi’s social media and email accounts revealed a years-long affiliation with a Hamas-aligned paramilitary group, including carrying out firearms training, according to the FBI.
In June 2024, al-Muhtadi submitted an electronic US visa application in Cairo.
The FBI says al-Muhtadi responded that he could post whatever he wanted, including pictures of Hamas leaders, and he would be safe.
A Louisiana resident has been charged by the FBI with taking part in the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel, lying about his background, and fraudulently obtaining a visa to reside in the United States.
In the attack that killed almost 1,200 people, Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub al-Muhtadi armed himself and organized a group to cross from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, according to a recently unsealed FBI criminal complaint.
In the course of the raid, Hamas militants also abducted over 250 people, including dozens of Americans. After the two parties reached a shaky ceasefire in Palestinian territory, Hamas freed the 20 hostages who were still alive on October 13.
According to the complaint filed by FBI supervisory special agent Alexandria M. Thoman O’Donnell and presented to a federal judge on October 6, Al-Muhtadi was an agent of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine’s military wing of Gaza. O’Donnell is a member of a task force looking into the killings and abductions of US nationals during the October 7th attack.
According to the complaint, al-Muhtadi denied ever having engaged in terrorist activities on his US visa application and became a lawful permanent resident in 2024.
As stated in a statement released by the Justice Department on Friday, the FBI in New Orleans and the members of Joint Task Force October 7, an initiative that was started in March of this year, looked into al-Muhtadi’s presence in the United States.
The statement attributes his arrest to seven Israeli security groups, including the Israeli crime-fighting umbrella group Lahav 433, in addition to US law enforcement.
“This monster has been discovered and accused of taking part in the atrocities of October 7, the single deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, after hiding out in the United States,” said US Attorney General Pam Bondi.
It was unclear if Al-Muhtadi had legal counsel when he was scheduled to appear in court on Friday.
Although the complaint claims that on October 6, the agent requested an arrest warrant for al-Muhtadi, it doesn’t say when or where he was taken into custody. He may be charged with visa fraud and conspiring to support a foreign terrorist organization, according to the complaint.
A person with the same name and age is detained at the correctional facility in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, which is close to Lafayette, according to inmate records. He was supposed to show up in federal court on Friday.
The FBI claims that al-Muhtadi’s email and social media accounts demonstrated a years-long affiliation with a paramilitary organization affiliated with Hamas, including conducting firearms training.
Mohammed Deif, the Hamas military commander at the time, urged “the masses” to join in after Hamas forces attacked Israel early on October 7, 2023.
After learning about the attack on social media at 6:34 a.m., the complaint claims that al-Muhtadi “was among those who answered Hamas’s call to arms.”.
Al-Muhtadi instructed his associates to “get ready” and “bring the rifles,” stating that “there is kidnapping, and it’s a game, which will be a good one,” according to FBI-reviewed phone conversations. In addition, he requested that a colleague bring ammunition.
According to the FBI, al-Muhtadi organized an armed group to enter Israel, and during the assault, his phone ping-ed a cell tower close to the Israeli village of Kfar Aza, where dozens of people were killed and about 19 were abducted.
In Cairo, al-Muhtadi applied for a US visa electronically in June 2024. His application denied that he had ever participated in terrorist activities or served in any paramilitary group. He stated on his application that he planned to work in “car repairs or food services” and reside in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In September of 2024, he arrived in the US.
According to the FBI, Al-Muhtadi lived in Tulsa until May, but by early June, he had moved to Lafayette and was employed at a nearby restaurant.
From July to September of this year, al-Muhtadi met with an unnamed FBI agent in Lafayette on several occasions.
Al-Muhtadi was under surveillance in the United States, so an associate advised him not to contact anyone from the paramilitary group and to refrain from posting anything on social media that would be seen as endorsing Hamas. The FBI claims that al-Muhtadi replied that he would be safe posting anything he wanted, including images of Hamas leaders.
