The United States Department of Defense announced on July 10 the disbursement of nearly 3 million dollars in compensation to personnel affected by Havana syndrome, marking the first payments made under the HAVANA Act since its enactment in 2021, under any presidential administration.
“We prioritize the care of the affected personnel and have disbursed nearly three million dollars in compensations, marking the first payment under the Havana Act.”, stated the Department of Defense in an official statement.
A law that took five years to translate into payments
The HAVANA Act - the English acronym for Helping American Victims Afflicted by Neurological Attacks Act - was passed unanimously in a bipartisan vote in Congress, with 427 votes in favor and none against, and signed by then-President Joe Biden on October 8, 2021.
Despite being in effect for five years, the payments had not been made until now.
The regulation establishes two levels of compensation based on the severity of the injuries:
- the Base level, equivalent to 75% of the annual salary of Level III of the Executive Scale.
- the Base Plus level, equivalent to 100% of that same salary.
Reports from 2022 indicated that individual payments would range from $100,000 to $200,000 per person, depending on the level of impact.
A medical mystery that began in Cuba in 2016
The syndrome was publicly reported for the first time in 2016, when American diplomats in Cuba began to experience unexplained symptoms: severe headaches, nosebleeds, perception of high-pitched sounds, dizziness, and cognitive damage.
The cases then spread to Bogotá, Vienna, Berlin, Moscow, Beijing, and Washington D.C. itself.
It is estimated that more than 200 diplomats in 70 countries have reported similar symptoms, and more than 300 people -including children- have received medical treatment.
In 2017, the Trump administration withdrew more than half of the non-essential staff from the embassy in Havana and expelled two Cuban diplomats from Washington.
The case, unresolved and with indications pointing to Russia
Intelligence assessments regarding the origin of the syndrome have been contradictory.
An assessment from early 2025 concluded that it was "very unlikely" that a foreign adversary was behind the incidents, without providing an alternative explanation.
However, a Congress report from December 2024 contradicted that conclusion, indicating that an external actor might be behind some cases and criticized the CIA for hindering the investigation.
In March 2026, new intelligence reports pointed to Russia -specifically to Unit 29155 of the GRU- as responsible, linking the attacks to a miniaturized microwave weapon that agents from the Department of Homeland Security allegedly acquired in 2024 from a Russian criminal network.
A new name that reveals more than it hides
Alongside the announcement of the payments, the Department of Defense formalized the renaming of its internal team: the previously called Health Anomaly Incident Response Team is now known as the Cross-Functional Team on Biological Effects from Directed Energy, under the supervision of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
The name change is significant: the department itself confirmed that it possesses directed energy weapons and is expanding their use.
“In fact, the Department of Defense possesses directed energy weapons. Yes, we are scaling them up,” the office of the Undersecretary posted on social media X on January 23, 2026.
The Department also reaffirmed its commitment to those affected, as reported by France 24: "The Department will continue to emphasize transparency and scientific integrity in order to achieve validated results, improve care for those affected, and adapt to a dynamic operating environment."
The Secretary of State Marco Rubio had warned in February 2025 that regarding Havana Syndrome "there is still much work to be done," a statement that takes on new significance following the first concrete payments to victims after nearly a decade of waiting.
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