Two Louisiana brothers have been arrested on federal terrorism charges after an NYPD undercover operation exposed their alleged role in a global Hamas fundraising network.
Abdel Adhami and Omar Adhami were taken into custody in Louisiana last month, according to newly unsealed federal indictments. The siblings are accused of collecting donations under the false pretense of humanitarian aid for Gaza and funneling the money to Saleem Alzaq, a Hamas member who regularly posts terror propaganda on social media.
Prosecutors say the overall scheme has raised at least $1.7 million since 2020. The operation solicited contributions from donors worldwide, including within the United States, advertising the campaigns as relief efforts for people in Gaza.
“The fundraising scheme collected donations from individuals around the world, including from individuals in the United States, purportedly to provide humanitarian aid to people in Gaza,” Alzaq’s complaint states.
The case broke open when Alzaq made a critical mistake in November 2025. He contacted an undercover NYPD detective operating under the name “Hussain” through Snapchat, inadvertently inviting law enforcement into the network.
The following month, Alzaq directed the undercover officer to connect with Abdel Adhami. “Call him and come to an understanding with him and see what’s the best method, how to transfer, how to send them [funds]. This young man transfers to me on a monthly basis,” the complaint quotes Alzaq as saying.
Whether the detective actually sent money to Abdel remains unclear from court documents.
Between 2023 and 2026, Abdel allegedly transmitted more than $83,000 to Hamas, while Omar is accused of sending $6,000. Both brothers now face charges of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and wire fraud.
Alzaq faces a heavier slate of charges: 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 defraud the United States.
“Though these campaigns were advertised publicly as fundraising for humanitarian aid, Alzaq in fact used money from those campaigns to support Hamas,” the complaint says.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch highlighted the department’s role in a statement following the arrests. “The NYPD’s counterterrorism work knows no borders,” she said.
“Our intelligence analysts uncovered this international finance network and built the case that exposed more than $2 million being funneled to Hamas,” Tisch continued.
“This is the kind of extraordinary counterterrorism work the NYPD does every day to disrupt threats before they reach New Yorkers, and I thank our law enforcement partners for helping us dismantle this network,” she added.
The Adhami brothers remain in federal custody pending further proceedings in the case.