The Pentagon has reportedly invested an astounding sum in a weapon linked to the enigmatic ‘Havana Syndrome,’ according to sources familiar with the matter. This syndrome, which has affected U.S. spies, diplomats, and military personnel for nearly a decade, remains shrouded in mystery. Insiders have disclosed to CNN that the Department of Defense allocated more than a year to testing this device, which was acquired covertly at a cost running into eight figures.

In a secretive operation concluded during the final days of the Biden administration, the device was acquired and is believed to emit pulsed radio waves capable of penetrating the human body. This technology has been associated with the so-called ‘Havana Syndrome,’ a condition that, while controversial and yet to gain official recognition, is suspected to explain a variety of unexplained ailments among U.S. officials. First identified in 2016, the syndrome is characterized by symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, cognitive difficulties, memory lapses, balance disorders, and insomnia, attributed to localized sound waves.

According to sources, the acquisition was made by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a branch of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The weapon reportedly incorporates Russian-made components, though the precise origin and seller remain undisclosed. Despite its compact size—small enough to fit in a backpack—the device’s potent effects have baffled investigators, leaving them to puzzle over its powerful yet portable nature, as reported by CNN.

Incidents of US officials being struck down by ‘Havana Syndrome’ are currently classified only as ‘anomalous health episodes’, and there remains skepticism surrounding links between the incidents. The ‘episodes’ first began in 2016 as a number of US diplomats in the Cuban capital of Havana were hit with severe illness. In years since, similar cases involving US officials have been reported around the world. Russia has often been blamed as the chief suspect and some victims have expressed frustration over a lack of action in proving Russia was targeting and attacking US government officials. Former CIA Director Bill Burns vowed to get to the bottom of the unexplained ailments when he took the office in March 2021.

In 2024 US official Marc Polymeropoulos said he didn’t feel it was being taken seriously after he was hit with the random illness in Moscow eight years prior. ‘There is so much anger among the victims right now,’ he told CNNat the time. Polymeropoulos said he was upset that intelligence insiders repeatedly said there was no evidence Havana Syndrome exists. ‘That’s psychologically damaging,’ he added. In 2022, an intelligence panel concluded that some of the ‘anomalous health episodes’ could ‘plausibly’ have been caused by ‘pulsed electromagnetic energy’. However, in 2023, intelligence officials said there was no clear link between the cases to a targeted attack by a foreign adversary.

According to the recent report, defense officials went against the public narrative that there was no evidence, and last year briefed the House and Senate Intelligence Committees on their findings. These briefings included references to buying the device and testing it, the sources said. In a statement following reports that the US purchased the device linked to ‘Havana Syndrome’, Polymeropoulos said he felt vindicated. ‘If the (US government) has indeed uncovered such devices, then the CIA owes all the victims a [expletive] major and public apology for how we have been treated as pariahs,’ he said. The Daily Mail has reached out to the Pentagon and DHS for comment.