TL;DR
U.S. officials are testing a portable radiofrequency device with Russian-made parts that may reproduce Havana Syndrome-like symptoms, renewing questions over the mysterious illness and its possible cause.
Why This Matters
The latest update in the Havana Syndrome story touches national security, worker safety and international relations. Since 2016, hundreds of American diplomats, intelligence officers and military personnel have reported sudden, unexplained health incidents in Cuba and later in China, Europe and the United States. Many say the symptoms – including vertigo, ringing in the ears and lasting cognitive problems – began after hearing a high-pitched or focused sound and feeling pressure in their heads.
For years, U.S. officials have debated whether these “anomalous health incidents” stem from a foreign weapon, environmental factors or underlying medical conditions. A device that can mimic reported symptoms would not settle that debate, but it could give investigators a new way to test theories about how the incidents might occur.
The issue also affects how the U.S. government protects and compensates its own people. Congress passed the HAVANA Act in 2021 to expand support for affected personnel, yet many who report symptoms say they still struggle to get specialized care and recognition. How this new testing is handled may influence trust in those efforts.
Key Facts & Quotes
According to people briefed on the matter who spoke to U.S. media on condition of anonymity, the Department of Homeland Security quietly obtained a backpack-sized device in late 2024. The system reportedly emits pulsed radio frequency energy and includes components of Russian origin. The Pentagon has since been evaluating the device to see whether it can reproduce effects similar to those described by Havana Syndrome patients. The Pentagon and Homeland Security have not publicly commented, and the Central Intelligence Agency has also declined to comment.
CNN: Pentagon Secretly Acquired a Pulsed RF Device Linked to Havana Syndrome
This is not alternative media.
This is CNN.
And they are now reporting that the Pentagon acquired and is testing a portable device that emits pulsed radio waves, suspected by some investigators to be… pic.twitter.com/yNkvpl6l6G
— Mind Nexus (@MindNexusLive) January 13, 2026
Havana Syndrome takes its name from cases first reported by U.S. diplomats and intelligence officers in Cuba’s capital after the U.S. embassy reopened there in 2015. Affected personnel have described dizziness, severe headaches, nausea, memory problems, vision issues, head pressure and a loud, piercing noise that often lessened when they moved away. Some say the symptoms have been so debilitating that they left government service.
A 2020 report by the National Academies of Sciences, commissioned by the State Department, concluded that “directed, pulsed radio frequency (RF) energy appears to be the most plausible mechanism” for at least some of the early cases, while stressing that other explanations were possible. In contrast, a March 2023 assessment from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said most U.S. intelligence agencies judged it “very unlikely” that a foreign adversary was behind the majority of reported incidents worldwide.
Tensions between these findings have left many questions unresolved. Victims’ groups argue that the government has focused too heavily on ruling out foreign involvement and not enough on day-to-day medical care and long-term monitoring.
What It Means for You
For most people, Havana Syndrome remains a distant but closely watched global news story. Still, what happens next could shape how the U.S. government handles unexplained health risks for diplomats, military families and other federal workers stationed abroad – a concern for many Americans with relatives in public service.
If testing confirms that a portable RF device can reliably trigger Havana-like symptoms, investigators may gain a clearer picture of how at least some incidents could occur, even if they cannot yet say who is responsible. If the device fails to reproduce those effects, it may strengthen the case for alternative explanations, from environmental factors to existing medical conditions.
Either way, the government is likely to face pressure to be more transparent about what it knows, how it investigates health complaints and how quickly it provides care and compensation. Those decisions could influence workplace safety standards, overseas postings and public trust in official explanations of high-profile health mysteries.
Sources: National Academies of Sciences report for the U.S. Department of State (December 2020); Office of the Director of National Intelligence assessment on anomalous health incidents (March 2023); public statements by U.S. officials and recent U.S. media reporting on Havana Syndrome device testing (January 2026).
What do you think the government’s top priority should be now: pinpointing a cause, supporting affected personnel, or increasing transparency about what is still unknown?
