US Covert Operation Acquires Microwave Weapon Linked to Havana Syndrome
A classified American intelligence operation has successfully obtained a previously unknown microwave weapon through undercover agents, potentially providing the first physical evidence to explain the mysterious brain injuries collectively known as Havana Syndrome. This dramatic development represents a significant turning point in a perplexing case that has divided US intelligence agencies for years, according to a comprehensive new report by CBS' 60 Minutes program.
The Secret Acquisition
In a covert mission funded by the Pentagon and executed in 2024, undercover Homeland Security agents purchased a miniaturized microwave weapon from a Russian criminal network for approximately $15 million. Sources described the device as small, portable, and easily concealable, bearing no resemblance to traditional firearms. The weapon operates silently, generates no detectable heat like conventional microwave ovens, can be programmed for various scenarios, and functions remotely with a beam range extending several hundred feet. Remarkably, it can penetrate windows and drywall without leaving physical traces.
Havana Syndrome Origins and Symptoms
The phenomenon first emerged in 2016 when American diplomats, CIA operatives, and military personnel began reporting sudden, debilitating symptoms. Victims from Havana to Vienna to northern Virginia described experiencing life-altering symptoms following what many believed were covert attacks by foreign adversaries. The Pentagon later purchased a similar weapon in 2026 believed to be responsible for these mysterious incidents.
Symptoms consistently reported include:
- Sudden loud noises or intense pressure in the head
- Severe ear pain and dizziness
- Visual disturbances and cognitive difficulties
- Balance problems and memory lapses
The condition earned its name after multiple government personnel stationed at the US embassy in Havana, Cuba, reported these symptoms. Between 2016 and 2018 alone, over 200 US government employees and diplomats experienced similar incidents, with most cases linked to embassy staff in Havana.
Victim Testimonies
Chris, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who worked on classified spy satellites, described being attacked repeatedly in his northern Virginia home in 2020. "The very first incident occurred in August of 2020," he recalled. "What it felt like was that someone punched me in the throat, and my left ear was clogged. I started to get sharp shooting pains going down my left arm." Subsequent attacks left him with immediate disorientation, confusion, dizziness, and severe muscle cramps that felt "like a Charley horse" with his spine "on fire."
His wife Heidi also suffered mysterious injuries, awakening with "immense joint pain everywhere" and eventually requiring surgery after bones in her shoulder began dissolving through a condition called osteolysis. Chris continues to require daily neurological medication, stating he has sustained "significant damage to multiple organ systems" that he attributes to attacks while "in the line of duty."
Government Response and Controversy
For years, US officials dismissed concerns, publicly declaring it "very unlikely" that a foreign adversary was responsible. Some even likened the mysterious illness to "mass hysteria." The official intelligence judgment published in 2023 maintained this position, but it has been fiercely challenged by outside experts and former officials.
Dr. David Relman, a Stanford professor of medicine who led two government-requested investigations, told 60 Minutes that both panels concluded "the most plausible explanation for a subset of these cases was a form of radiofrequency or microwave energy." His investigations found extensive prior work in the former Soviet Union on precisely the kind of pulsed microwave effects that might explain the injuries.
"What they found was that effects could range from loss of consciousness to seizures to memory lapses, inability to concentrate, headaches, intense pressure, pain, disorientation, difficulty with balance—many of the things that we heard about from victims of Havana Syndrome," Relman explained.
Weapon Characteristics and Testing
The weapon acquired in the covert operation has reportedly been tested for over a year in a US military laboratory. Sources told CBS that tests on rats and sheep showed injuries consistent with those seen in human victims. Investigators also obtained classified security camera videos appearing to show Americans being targeted, including footage from a restaurant in Istanbul where two FBI agents suddenly grabbed their heads in pain after a man with a backpack entered, and from a stairwell in the US embassy in Vienna where two people abruptly collapsed.
Relman emphasized the weapon's stealth capabilities: "[It's an ideal stealth weapon] because literally the person feels as if this is in my head." The key innovation involves not just hardware but software that shapes "a unique, electromagnetic wave that rises and falls abruptly and pulses rapidly"—precisely what Relman's research had predicted.
Institutional Resistance and Cover-up Allegations
Former CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos, who suffered attacks in a Moscow hotel room in 2017, told 60 Minutes he still feels betrayed by the agency he served for 26 years. "There's a part of this that has to do with moral injury," he said. "And that's the idea of betrayal." He described being denied medical care upon returning and accused the CIA of engaging in "a massive cover-up."
Another former CIA officer who volunteered to work on the agency's Anomalous Health Incidents (AHI) unit in 2021 reported finding an effort focused on "bringing down the temperature" rather than determining what happened. He described contempt toward victims within the unit, including an episode where a senior official joked about holding a happy hour with "simulated AHIs."
Recent Developments and Implications
Late in the Biden administration, victims were summoned to the White House where retired Major General Dr. Paul Friedrichs reportedly apologized, stating he had "never seen in 30-plus years of practicing military medicine victims treated in such a terrible manner." However, a drafted White House statement supporting victims was never released publicly.
The Trump administration has not changed the 2023 intelligence assessment, but has briefed senior intelligence officials in Congress and shown them a classified image of the weapon. Pentagon personnel who investigated the attacks have been moved into a unit that develops new weapons.
Sources suggest "there are likely many of these devices" and that if undercover agents could purchase one from criminals, "then the Russians have lost control of a stealth weapon that could be used by anyone, anywhere." One former CIA officer noted the geopolitical implications: "If we acknowledge that this was a state actor that was doing this, it is essentially a declaration of war against the United States, which has to have a response."
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence told 60 Minutes that its review of anomalous health incidents would be "comprehensive and complete" and that "we remain committed to delivering the truth that the American people deserve."
