Houthi Terror Group Expands Into Africa, Recruiting Hundreds and Smuggling Weapons

The Houthi terrorist organization, currently escalating conflict against Yemen's government and Saudi-backed forces, is expanding its influence into the Horn of Africa, according to a recent report by an American research institute. The report reveals that the Houthis have long extended beyond Yemen's borders, establishing surprising collaborations with African terror groups, notably Somalia's al-Shabaab.

Yemeni government forces arrested a Somali national in 2024 who allegedly acted as a liaison between the Houthis and al-Shabaab, facilitating the transfer of up to 400 Somalis for military and ideological training in Houthi camps. The report highlights the unusual Sunni-Shia cooperation, given al-Shabaab's Sunni al-Qaeda affiliation and the Houthis' Iranian-backed Shia identity.

Beyond recruitment, the Houthis have intensified arms smuggling operations through the Horn of Africa, exploiting trade and shipping routes to establish new logistical hubs for weapons storage and transfer to Yemen. The largest intercepted arms shipment since the Yemen war began was the 2025 seizure of the vessel Al-Sharwa off Yemen's west coast, carrying approximately 750 tons of military equipment, including Iranian missiles, drone engines, and radar gear.

Additionally, the report estimates that Houthi-linked networks imported between 7,500 and 8,500 tons of ammonium nitrate and other chemicals into Djibouti from 2023 to 2025, which were then moved to Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen. Millions of electronic detonators used in explosives and drones were also smuggled. Researchers warn that these expanding ties with armed groups and smuggling networks in the Horn of Africa could enhance the Houthis' ability to bypass arms embargoes and threaten international maritime trade in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.