In late 2024, the United States government discreetly acquired a portable device that officials suspect may be connected to the "Havana Syndrome," a debilitating condition reported by over 1,500 U.S. personnel since 2016, according to various sources cited by CBS News.
This device was covertly obtained during the final weeks of the Biden administration by the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Homeland Security Investigations division, utilizing Pentagon funds amounting to eight figures.
Sources indicate that the device, which fits into a backpack, contains components of Russian origin. Three individuals briefed on the matter informed CBS that the Pentagon has been testing this apparatus for over a year, and it emits pulsed radiofrequency energy.
Researchers believe the device could mimic effects reported by victims of the "Havana Syndrome," a term coined after the first cases were reported by U.S. diplomats and intelligence personnel in Havana, Cuba, in 2016.
CBS reports that U.S. officials presented some of their findings to congressional oversight committees last year.
Victims have experienced a range of neurological symptoms, including severe headaches, head pressure, dizziness, nausea, and ringing or clicking in the ears. Some described hearing a sharp, painful noise that diminished when they moved away from the location, with effects in some cases being so severe that individuals were forced to leave their jobs.
Such incidents have been reported in dozens of countries and continents, involving diplomats, intelligence officers, and military personnel.
This information emerges against a backdrop of previous official conclusions that generally downplayed the hypothesis of a foreign attack. An initial intelligence assessment completed in 2023 concluded it was "highly unlikely" that a foreign adversary was responsible. A subsequent review—published in December 2024 by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)—upheld this assessment, though it acknowledged the possibility of a deliberate mechanism, such as a pulsed radiofrequency energy weapon/device, being a line of inquiry.
Despite the dominant "unlikely" stance, CBS mentions that two agencies adjusted their evaluation, suggesting an "approximately equal" likelihood that an adversary had developed a device capable of harming U.S. personnel and their families, though without directly linking it to the reported incidents.
Simultaneously, the ODNI is reviewing previous investigations into what are termed "Anomalous Health Incidents" (AHIs). Individuals familiar with the review asserted it is nearly complete, though lawmakers have not yet been briefed, nor has it been prepared for release. A spokesperson stated that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is committed to sharing the findings, but not at the expense of releasing incomplete information.
Former CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos remarked that the agency had previously maintained such technology did not exist, and with the device now under test, "their analytical assumptions" are undermined; he argued for a comprehensive new review.
Understanding the Havana Syndrome Investigation
What is the Havana Syndrome?
The Havana Syndrome is a condition characterized by a series of neurological symptoms reported by U.S. personnel, including severe headaches, dizziness, and ringing in the ears. It was first identified in Havana, Cuba, in 2016.
How was the device related to Havana Syndrome acquired?
The device was clandestinely acquired by the Department of Homeland Security's division with Pentagon funds, during the last weeks of the Biden administration in late 2024.
What does the device do?
The device emits pulsed radiofrequency energy and is believed to potentially replicate effects described by victims of the Havana Syndrome.