This piece examines fresh reporting and claims about a sonic or directed-energy device tied to so-called Havana Syndrome, new allegations that a weapon was captured or obtained by U.S. forces, and the disputes inside the intelligence community over what was seized, tested, or purchased and whether any report will be released.

For years, a baffling set of medical symptoms has affected officials across the FBI, the military, and the intelligence world, labeled in reportage as Havana Syndrome. Early cases traced back to embassy staff in Cuba in 2016 and the phenomenon has been debated fiercely, with some journalists and officials pointing fingers at foreign actors while others point to more mundane causes.

Major network pieces have suggested Moscow may be the culprit, but that theory meets skepticism from conservatives who distrust narratives pushed by outlets that embraced the collusion story. The current swirl adds claims that a sonic or radio-frequency device was involved in incidents and that such a device might have been encountered during recent operations tied to Venezuela.

After a high-profile operation in Caracas on January 3 that removed Nicolás Maduro from power, an account from a Venezuelan guard circulated alleging a sonic weapon was used in the raid. Reporters digging into the story have found sources claiming the United States has either captured or acquired a system linked to the symptoms associated with Havana Syndrome.

Journalist Sasha Ingber reported that sources told her a weapon producing cognitive and physiological effects was seized during a secret special forces mission in an unnamed country, and that the device has been tested so U.S. analysts could understand how it functions. National security attorney Mark Zaid pushed back on parts of that reporting, saying some sources believe the device was purchased outright rather than captured during a raid.

One person with knowledge of special operations expressed skepticism of the Venezuelan’s conversation, pondering to me, “Was it an excuse for poor performance and we [the U.S. government] are exploiting it?” 

Another person thought the interview sounded like straight propaganda, totally out of line with Venezuela’s machismo culture. And a third source, a former senior intelligence official, thought the manifestation of symptoms in terms of range and immediacy were “quite different” than Havana Syndrome. Maybe this guy just wants to get in good favor with the U.S., that person suggested. 

But in the midst of these conversations, two people told me that a number of months ago, the U.S. captured a weapon that has been associated with Havana Syndrome. Both said it was seized by U.S. Special Forces during an operation. 

I am not sure who, when, or where. They said the weapon has been tested so that the U.S. can understand how the device works. And to be clear, no one said that it had ever been used. 

After this article initially published, another person linked to the intel community contacted me to confirm my reporting and said the weapon is under the Defense Department’s Intelligence & Security unit. 

Then a few hours later, national security attorney Mark Zaid — who was not involved in my reporting — wrote on social media, “As attorney for nearly three dozen federal victims, mostly from w/i Intelligence Community, of #AnomalousHealthIncidents, I can confirm that I had the same information of USG possessing one or more such devices – and from different sources.” 

Mark and the third source say they believe the weapon was purchased, not part of a special forces operation. 

Another person in this world was not aware of this particular device, but said there have been tests of directed energy weapons. 

And another person — someone who is very familiar with these operations, to include JSOC operations and the potential use of such a weapon — told me that the United States does possess a weapon that causes disturbing internal issues. The stuff that brings you to your knees, causes you to throw up and lose your bowls. The point is that it is less than lethal, incapacitating but not killing. 

Sources described the system as transportable and aimed at people via pulsed radio frequencies, a form of directed energy that would be portable enough for field use. Some reporting says Israel asked to use such a system for crowd control in 2018 and was denied by then-Defense Secretary James Mattis, a detail that underscores how long these capabilities and conversations have circulated inside allied security circles.

Not everyone in Washington accepts the hardware explanation. Current intelligence officials including the director of national intelligence have publicly suggested natural or medical explanations are possible for many of the reported incidents. That position fuels distrust among those who see a foreign hand or a classified weapons program as the likeliest explanation.

According to reporting from inside the intelligence community, a new Office of the Director of National Intelligence review has been finished but remains tied up while leaders debate release. Those internal disagreements include contrasting views about public transparency and the policy implications of acknowledging either possession or use of such technology.

On the political right, the notion that the U.S. may have seized or bought a device linked to Havana-like symptoms raises both tactical curiosity and serious oversight questions. If the United States has tested these systems, leaders must answer how they were acquired, how tests were conducted, and whether safeguards were in place to prevent harm to Americans or allies.

Was a device used in Caracas? The reporting is murky, and officials offer competing explanations, but the claim that the U.S. possesses and has tested equipment capable of causing debilitating, nonlethal effects is a claim that will not go away. Conservatives watching this want clear answers, accountability, and a straightforward accounting of what was captured, bought, or tested and why.