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A report from the '60 Minutes' program from CBS News revealed new details about a microwave device that could help explain the mysterious neurological injuries experienced for years by American diplomats, intelligence agents, and military personnel, in what is known as the "Havana Syndrome."
According to the investigation, undercover agents from the United States Department of Homeland Security would have acquired such a device in 2024 from a Russian criminal network engaged in illegal arms trafficking.
The operation, funded by the Pentagon and , allowed authorities to acquire the device for study at U.S. military facilities.
According to confidential sources cited by the program, the device would be portable, silent, and capable of emitting pulsed microwave radiation that can penetrate windows or walls. The weapon could also be operated remotely and programmed for various scenarios.
For over a year, the device is said to have been tested in a U.S. military laboratory using rats and sheep. The results, according to sources consulted for the report, showed injuries consistent with those observed in some individuals who have reported symptoms associated with the syndrome.
The so-called "Havana syndrome" gets its name from the first reported cases in 2016 among U.S. diplomats stationed in the Cuban capital. Since then, U.S. government officials have reported symptoms such as severe headaches, vertigo, loss of balance, ringing in the ears, and cognitive difficulties.
Similar cases have also been reported in other countries, including China, Austria, Russia, and the United States, making the phenomenon one of the most debated mysteries in national security circles over the last decade.
For years, various U.S. government agencies deemed it “highly unlikely” that these episodes were deliberate attacks by a foreign adversary, exploring other explanations such as medical, environmental, or psychological causes.
However, some scientists have argued for years that a possible explanation could be related to pulsed microwave radiation.
The doctor and professor at Stanford University David Relman, who participated in government research on the phenomenon, has pointed out that this type of electromagnetic energy could affect brain tissues and cause neurological symptoms.
Relman explained that scientific research conducted over several decades, particularly in the former Soviet Union, studied the biological effects of certain microwave frequencies on the human brain. According to these theories, specific electromagnetic pulses could alter the activity of electrical tissues such as the brain or the heart.
The described features of the device acquired by the United States would match this type of experimental technology.
The report also includes testimonies from U.S. officials who claim to have experienced episodes consistent with the syndrome and who, for years, felt ignored or doubted by their own agencies.
Some former intelligence officials have even reported a possible cover-up within the government to downplay the phenomenon.
One of them stated that the internal investigation within the CIA attempted to frame the issue as an environmental or psychological cause, rather than seriously considering the possibility of deliberate attacks.
Despite these new revelations, the official intelligence assessment published in 2023 by the U.S. government still maintains that it is "very unlikely" that the incidents were caused by a foreign adversary.
However, according to the report, the U.S. government is conducting a new review of the phenomenon, while the victims continue to demand official recognition and a definitive explanation for the injuries they have suffered.
If the existence and operation of this type of device is confirmed, it could shed new light on one of the most controversial mysteries in U.S. diplomacy and national security in recent years.
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