DOJ charges alleged Hamas fundraisers; Treasury sanctions network
Federal prosecutors unsealed charges alleging a Gaza-based Hamas battalion deputy and U.S. and French associates raised more than $1.7 million under charity fronts. Treasury designated the same network Friday; three people were arrested in the U.S. and three in France.
AI-assisted · US Brief desk · Sources listed below
What happened
DOJ said Alzaq is charged in the Southern District of New York with conspiring to provide material support to Hamas, violate sanctions, launder money, and defraud the United States. Three people were arrested in the United States — Abdel Adhami, 35, and Omar Adhami, 33, of Covington, Louisiana, and Raed Yousef, 56, of Lutz, Florida. French authorities arrested Faouzi Barika, Amel Oualid, and Nordine Barika, DOJ said. Alzaq has not been arrested and remains in Gaza, prosecutors say.
Why it matters
The case pairs criminal charges with OFAC sanctions and French arrests. It shows U.S. and partner agencies still chasing post–Oct. 7 fundraising that mixed crypto, social media, and charity branding.
What’s next
Watch detention and plea hearings for the U.S. defendants, any extradition or French court steps, and whether OFAC adds further related designations.
More context
The Justice Department on Friday announced unsealed charges alleging a multi-year scheme that funneled money to Hamas through social-media charity appeals. Prosecutors say Saleem Alzaq, 45, of Gaza, a battalion deputy in Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigades, ran the network. Treasury’s OFAC designated Alzaq, two France-based fundraisers, and two French charities the same day.
The money: The New York indictment alleges Alzaq’s campaigns raised more than $1.7 million from January 2020 through about December 2025, including at least $626,000 from U.S. donors, CBS News reported. Treasury said Barika, Oualid, and Alzaq collected more than $2 million from 2020 to 2026, with $1.5 million after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch separately said analysts exposed more than $2 million funneled to Hamas. DOJ’s charging papers allege Abdel Adhami contributed about $94,000, Omar Adhami about $11,000, and Yousef almost $50,000. Earlier complaints against the brothers cited about $83,000 and $6,000, NBC and the New York Post reported.
How it worked, as alleged: Prosecutors say appeals claimed to aid Gaza civilians — food, winter goods, orphans — while funds went to Hamas. Treasury said Association Baraka and Ensemble C Mieux in France were used to solicit donations sent to Alzaq. Cryptocurrency and money-services businesses were part of the flow, OFAC said. CBS, citing the indictment, reported Alzaq allegedly used coded terms such as “bread” and “the Green” with an undercover officer and told donors not to write Hamas slogans on payment notes. The case began after Alzaq contacted an undercover NYPD detective in November 2025, the New York Post reported, citing the complaint.
Officials: Attorney General Todd Blanche said people who finance terrorist groups that kill Americans should expect prosecution. FBI Director Kash Patel said the case shows agents following crypto trails behind “charitable giving.” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the designations aim to cut Hamas’s financial lifelines. An indictment is an allegation; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Defense status: NBC News said an attorney for the Adhami brothers did not immediately return a call for comment. The brothers were detained pending a hearing and had not entered a plea, NBC reported. Fox 8 in New Orleans said it also reached out to numbers listed for the brothers and had not heard back as of Thursday evening.
8 listed sources
- U.S. Department of Justice OPA, Oct 2, 2026: Coordinated Arrests and Charges Dismantle Hamas Terror Finance Network
- U.S. Department of the Treasury, Oct 2, 2026: Treasury Dismantles Major Hamas Financing Network (sb0647)
- OFAC, Oct 2, 2026: Counter Terrorism Designations
- CBS News (Kierra Frazier), Oct 2, 2026: $1.7 million raised in scheme for Hamas, prosecutors say
- NBC News (Tom Winter, Jonathan Dienst), Oct 1, 2026: Prosecutors allege long-running scheme to raise money for Hamas
- Fox 8 WVUE (Gabby Killett), Oct 1, 2026: Beauty store owners accused of fundraising for Hamas
- New York Post (Joe Marino, Kenneth Garger), Oct 1, 2026: Two US brothers busted in $1.7M Hamas fundraising scheme — that was exposed with help from the NYPD (read via syndicated copy)
- Sourcing note: Primaries are DOJ/Treasury/OFAC. Spectrum mix adds CBS/NBC, the New York Post, and Fox 8 local coverage of the Louisiana arrests. No defendant plea or detailed rebuttal was on the record at draft time (NBC: Adhami attorney did not return a call).
References listed by US Brief; a source count is not a verification score.
Editorial sourcing notes
Core facts from DOJ OPA (Oct 2), Treasury press release sb0647 (Oct 2), and OFAC designation notice. CBS and NBC corroborate the unsealed indictment figures; Fox 8 (WVUE) covers the Louisiana Adhami complaints. Indictment totals (~$1.7M / ≥$626k from U.S. donors per CBS citing indictment) vs Treasury/NYPD “more than $2 million” framing — both attributed in body. Charges are allegations; defendants presumed innocent. Re-checked 1:04 PM PT Oct 2: no plea or new filings found; added NY Post (NYPD undercover origin) and the earlier complaint figures ($83K/$6K) vs. indictment figures. Bullet now drops oldest US News bullet us-hegseth-state-of-force to keep count at 8.
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