St. Martinville – A Lafayette resident was booked into the St. Martin Parish Jail this past week and then transferred to the Calcasieu Correctional Center after federal prosecutors accused him of taking part in the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks in Israel led by Hamas.
According to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Lafayette that was first obtained by ABC News and the New York Times, Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub al-Muhtadi “provided, attempted to provide, or conspired to provide” material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
He is also accused of fraud and misuse of visa, permits and other documents.
Al-Muhtadi was represented in proceedings on Friday in federal district court by a public defender. Appearing in court and participating in the proceedings on Friday with the assistance of a translator. Al-Muhtadi said he had not read the affidavit in support of a criminal complaint. The judge read it aloud to al-Muhtadi.
Terror
Asked if he understood what he was accused of, al-Muhtadi said he did and said he was innocent.
Al-Muhtadi was arrested on charges stemming from his alleged participation in the attack on Kibbutz Kfar Aza, where about 60 people were killed and 19 kidnapped, according to the criminal complaint. Several of the victims were American citizens, the complaint said.
Prosecutors said al-Muhtadi was a member of the military wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which coordinated with Hamas to carry out the attacks on Israel.
According to the criminal complaint, al-Muhtadi entered the U.S. on September 12, 2024, via Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. Prosecutors said he lied on his visa application in order to enter the country.
Prosecutors also said al-Muhtadi had been living in and working at a restaurant in Lafayette as of September 2025.
