US prosecutors have charged a LA inhabitant of taking part in the 7 October attack by Hamas on Israel, according to recently revealed legal documents.
The defendant, 33, reportedly armed himself and became part of a militia unit that engaged together with Hamas during the 2023 attack that killed over a thousand Israelis, triggering 24 months of conflict that resulted in the deaths of many additional individuals.
Twelve months after the attack, he supposedly journeyed to the United States on a fraudulent entry permit and became a permanent resident.
The accused was charged with providing, trying to provide or conspiring to provide assistance to a foreign terrorist organization and the fraud and improper use of a visa or other documents.
Reported Involvement with Militant Faction
Mr al-Muhtadi was reportedly an operative of the National Resistance Brigades, the armed branch of the DFLP, according to the complaint filed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
He is charged of coordinating a "unit of militants" to cross into Israel after learning about the raid and requested one individual to "bring the firearms", court papers show.
The suspect dispatched communications instructing others to bring a bulletproof vest for another man and ammunition, authorities allege.
A short time following the October 7 assault began, his mobile device connected to a signal tower close to the kibbutz, the location of a massacre, the records stated.
Judicial Proceedings and Response
The legal document indicated that Mr al-Muhtadi denied ever having been engaged in terrorist activities on his US visa application.
After coming to the United States, he lived in a few of places before settling in Lafayette, Louisiana, where he was employed in a local eatery.
He was arrested on Thursday, the DOJ announced.
During a hearing in LA on Friday, he was questioned if he comprehended the allegations facing him, an translator translated his response as "affirmative, but there are a lot of things mentioned here that are so incorrect, I am not guilty", according to sources.
The court filings do not accuse Mr al-Muhtadi of particular offenses or homicides. US prosecutors have in the past indicted senior individuals of the group with the fatalities of US citizens on 7 October.
