The mystery surrounding a series of unexplained health issues affecting U.S. Government personnel continues to deepen, with new evidence suggesting a potential link to directed energy weapons. For nearly a decade, hundreds of intelligence officers, diplomats, and their families have reported experiencing unusual symptoms, sparking a global investigation into the cause of what became known as “Havana Syndrome.” The evolving investigation, which initially dismissed the possibility of deliberate attacks, is now gaining renewed attention as officials re-examine previously held assumptions.
Recent reports indicate a shift in the U.S. Intelligence community’s assessment of the incidents. According to a January 10, 2025, report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), two agencies no longer rule out the possibility of foreign involvement. The report revealed that these agencies have gathered information about the development of microwave energy weapons by other countries, potentially capable of causing the observed symptoms. This development underscores the growing concern over the potential apply of such technology.
Norwegian Scientist’s Experiment
The renewed scrutiny stems, in part, from a secret experiment conducted in 2024 by a Norwegian scientist. As reported by the Washington Post on February 14, 2026, the scientist built a device capable of emitting pulsed microwave radiation in an attempt to disprove claims that such technology could be harmful. Yet, after testing the device on himself, the scientist reportedly experienced neurological symptoms similar to those associated with Havana Syndrome.
Sources familiar with the matter say the scientist utilized classified information in the device’s construction, suggesting a possible connection to stolen blueprints or data from a foreign government. While the scientist’s identity and the specific government agency he worked for remain undisclosed, those familiar with the situation described him as someone who had previously dismissed the idea of directed energy weapons being responsible for the symptoms. “I don’t know what got into him to do this. He’s a bit of an eccentric,” one source told the Post.
Following the experiment, the Norwegian government alerted the CIA, and delegations from the Pentagon and the White House traveled to Norway in December 2024 to examine the device. While the device didn’t perfectly replicate the “classic” symptoms of Havana Syndrome, it reinforced the possibility that such incidents could be caused by energy weapons.
U.S. Acquisition of Similar Technology
Approximately one month after reports surfaced about the Norwegian experiment, it was revealed that the United States had acquired a similar device. Independent journalist Sasha Ingber first reported on February 13, 2026, that the device was obtained either during a special operations mission or through a purchase. Mark Zaid, a national security attorney representing dozens of Havana Syndrome victims, confirmed on social media that he had been informed the U.S. Government possessed such a device.
Subsequent reporting by CNN and CBS News confirmed and expanded upon the acquisition. The device, purchased by the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit with funds from the Department of Defense, is reportedly small enough to fit in a backpack and emits pulsed radiofrequency energy. Some of its components are of Russian origin. Government investigators believe the device is capable of inducing symptoms consistent with those experienced by Havana Syndrome sufferers.
A Decade of Debate
Those affected by the incidents commonly report hearing a sound often described as resembling cicadas, accompanied by a sensation of pressure or invisible energy directed at their heads. This is often followed by dizziness, nausea, and problems with balance, as well as migraines, memory loss, fatigue, and visual disturbances. These symptoms were detailed in previous reporting.
The incidents initially gained notoriety after U.S. Diplomats stationed in Havana, Cuba, began reporting the symptoms in late 2016, leading to the moniker “Havana Syndrome.” However, cases were reported earlier, including an incident in 2014 in Frankfurt, Germany, where U.S. Consulate staff experienced brain damage. Similar cases were also reported as early as 2007, with former First Lady Laura Bush detailing symptoms experienced by members of her husband’s delegation in a 2010 memoir. A former NSA counterterrorism official also reported experiencing a targeted attack with a microwave system in 1996.
To date, more than 1,500 U.S. Government employees have reported similar symptoms from around the world, including diplomats, White House staff, military personnel, FBI agents, CIA officers, and their family members. Even then-Vice President Kamala Harris’s delegation experienced the effects during a visit to Vietnam in August 2021. As of January 2024, 334 Americans were receiving treatment for Anomalous Health Incidents (AHI) within the U.S. Military healthcare system, following the passage of legislation providing financial and medical assistance to some victims.
Victims have long accused the CIA and other U.S. Intelligence agencies of mishandling the issue, including dismissing the possibility of foreign attacks and obstructing investigations. While a 2020 report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine concluded that pulsed radiofrequency energy was the “most plausible” explanation for the symptoms, the CIA rejected this possibility in 2022, attributing the cases to medical or environmental factors. However, a report released a month later by intelligence experts commissioned by the agencies identified pulsed electromagnetic energy as a potential cause for some of the cases.
Kamala Harris és delegációja Vietnámban, 2021 augusztusában – Fotó: Evelyn Hockstein / Pool / AFP
The ODNI’s March 2023 report, however, maintained that it was “incredibly unlikely” that a foreign adversary was responsible for the symptoms. The agency’s assessment has been challenged by recent developments and growing evidence. A House Intelligence Committee report released in December 2024 suggested that foreign involvement was increasingly probable and accused U.S. Intelligence agencies of obstructing the committee’s investigation and withholding evidence. Committee Chairman Rick Crawford called for the retraction of the 2023 ODNI report, deeming it “flawed.”
As President Trump took office, the ODNI began work on a new report, which, according to Sasha Ingber, had remained untouched for months. Sources indicate that CIA Director is hesitant to release the report, while Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard supports its publication. CBS News reports that the report is largely complete, but has not yet been shared with members of Congress or released to the public. “We don’t release incomplete information,” an ODNI spokesperson told CBS News, adding that they are working diligently to finalize the report.
