Louisiana Brothers Charged in Hamas Fundraising Scheme Posing as Aid

Two U.S. citizens from Louisiana, brothers Abdel and Omar Adhami, have been indicted on terrorism charges for allegedly operating a scheme to fund the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas under the guise of humanitarian aid for Gaza. The operation was uncovered with the help of the New York Police Department, according to The New York Post. The brothers were arrested in Louisiana in September. Federal indictment documents, recently unsealed, reveal they solicited funds online and transferred them to Salim Alzak, a Hamas member who disseminates propaganda for the group on social media. Investigations indicate Abdel Adhami transferred over $83,000 to Hamas between 2023 and 2026, while his brother sent $6,000. Abdel allegedly used multiple Snapchat accounts to spread Hamas propaganda and collect donations, directing users to a Telegram account that exclusively posted pro-Hamas and Islamic Jihad content while soliciting contributions. The scheme employed code words, such as "bread," to refer to Hamas operatives and their funding, to evade detection. Abdel is accused of sending nearly $35,000 to one PayPal account and an additional $46,000 to another between November 2023 and June 2025, with all funds reportedly reaching Alzak. Alzak's communications confirm receipt of these "donations," with messages like "Here is the message I wanted to convey to the person who donated bread" and "some of them received bread, praise be to Allah." The investigation gained traction in November 2025 when Alzak inadvertently contacted an undercover NYPD detective posing as "Hussein" via Snapchat. About a month later, Alzak suggested "Hussein" contact Abdel Adhami to discuss optimal money transfer methods to Hamas, assuring the detective that the process was entirely legal. Abdel and Omar Adhami face charges including providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and wire fraud. Alzak is charged with conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to commit fraud against the United States.