A Gazan national living in Louisiana has been arrested and charged for allegedly participating in the Hamas-led terrorist attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed more than 1,200 people, including 49 U.S. citizens.
According to the Department of Justice, Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub Al-Muhtadi, 33, was taken into custody in Lafayette, Louisiana, on Wednesday. Federal officials allege that Al-Muhtadi was an operative for the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine’s military wing, the National Resistance Brigades, which took part in the assault.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the arrest marks the first public step in bringing to justice individuals responsible for the attacks. “After hiding out in the United States, this monster has been found and charged with participating in the atrocities of October 7 — the single deadliest day for Jewish people since the Holocaust,” Bondi said. “This Department’s Joint Task Force October 7 is dedicated to finding and prosecuting those responsible for that horrific day, including the murder of dozens of American citizens.”
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said court documents place Al-Muhtadi near Kibbutz Kfar Aza, one of the hardest-hit Israeli communities during the attack. “He armed himself, recruited additional marauders, and then entered Israel,” Eisenberg said. “Subsequently, Al-Muhtadi fraudulently obtained a visa to enter the United States where he hoped to remain undetected.”
Federal records show Al-Muhtadi entered the United States on September 12, 2024, using a visa application that allegedly contained false statements about his affiliations, military training, and involvement with Hamas and the DFLP.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana said the case demonstrates that those involved in terrorism abroad cannot evade accountability. “Let this arrest serve as a reminder that those who perpetrate acts of terrorism cannot evade justice by hiding in our communities,” Keller said.
The investigation is being led by Joint Task Force October 7 and the FBI New Orleans Field Office, with assistance from Israeli authorities, the Louisiana State Police, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Lafayette Police Department, and the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Prosecutors from the Justice Department’s National Security Division and the Western District of Louisiana are handling the case.
The Justice Department created Joint Task Force October 7 in February 2025 to investigate individuals involved in the Hamas attack, which killed approximately 1,200 people and abducted 250 others. Officials said the task force is focused on dismantling Hamas networks, holding participants accountable, and pursuing justice for victims of terrorism.
