At least six people with suspected Havana syndrome are reportedly receiving specialized treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, renewing concerns about unexplained neurological incidents involving U.S. government personnel and the possibility of directed-energy weapons.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
WASHINGTON — At least six people experiencing symptoms associated with Havana syndrome are reportedly receiving treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland, as new accounts of unexplained neurological incidents involving U.S. government personnel raise questions about whether some individuals have been exposed to directed-energy technology.
Investigative journalist Catherine Herridge reported that a new cluster of patients has been receiving care through Walter Reed’s specialized brain injury program since the summer, including individuals who work for federal agencies in the Washington, D.C., area.
According to an October 26 report by NewsNation, Herridge spent several weeks confirming accounts involving approximately half a dozen people undergoing treatment for confirmed or suspected brain injuries.
The cases have renewed attention to anomalous health incidents, the federal government’s term for a collection of unexplained neurological symptoms first widely reported by American diplomatic personnel in Havana, Cuba, in 2016.
The symptoms have subsequently been reported by intelligence officers, military personnel, diplomats and other federal employees in several countries, including the United States.
However, federal investigators have not publicly established the cause of the newly reported cases or confirmed that the patients were attacked with directed-energy weapons.
Herridge said the latest accounts are significant because the incidents allegedly occurred inside the United States rather than exclusively at American diplomatic or intelligence facilities overseas.
“This reporting is important because it reinforces and is consistent with the story I broke on your show about a cluster of cases inside the United States,” Herridge told NewsNation host Katie Pavlich.
She said some of the affected individuals were reportedly involved in government projects examining directed-energy technology.
“I think the most important part of this reporting is this cluster of cases,” Herridge said.
According to Herridge, some patients had worked on efforts related to directed-energy weapons or the examination and reverse engineering of foreign technology.
The reporting does not establish that those duties caused the individuals’ symptoms or that a foreign government deliberately targeted them.
Herridge also described accounts from individuals who reported unusual activity around their homes or workplaces shortly before experiencing sudden physical symptoms.
Some sources told her they noticed suspicious vehicles nearby, followed by sensations they described as physical shocks, disorientation or other neurological effects.
Other individuals reported that household pets appeared to react before they experienced symptoms.
“I’ve had people tell me that they’ve been walking their dogs and the first instant they realize that something is happening is that the dog reacts,” Herridge said.
Those descriptions are based on witness accounts and have not been independently established as evidence of directed-energy exposure.
The patients are reportedly being treated at Walter Reed’s National Intrepid Center of Excellence, a facility specializing in traumatic brain injuries, psychological health conditions and rehabilitation.
The center has previously provided medical care to military personnel and federal employees reporting anomalous health incidents.
According to the Department of Defense’s official medical guidance, these incidents can involve sudden auditory or sensory experiences followed by physical or cognitive symptoms.
Reported symptoms include headaches, dizziness, balance difficulties, nausea, hearing changes, memory problems, trouble concentrating and sensations of pressure in the head.
Some patients have described symptoms severe enough to interfere with their ability to work or perform ordinary activities.
The Defense Health Agency maintains resources for evaluating and treating affected personnel, while federal researchers continue investigating possible causes.
A 2024 Government Accountability Office investigation found that federal agencies had encountered challenges providing timely and consistent care to individuals reporting these symptoms.
The watchdog determined that some patients experienced difficulties obtaining medical evaluations, navigating eligibility requirements and receiving appropriate follow-up treatment.
Its report also noted that incidents had been reported in government workplaces, private residences and during employees’ commutes.
As of January 2024, 334 individuals had qualified for anomalous health incident care through the military healthcare system, including active-duty personnel, current and former federal employees and family members.
The GAO recommended improvements in patient communication and oversight of the Defense Department’s response.
The newly reported cases come amid renewed scrutiny of whether technology developed by foreign adversaries could explain at least some of the incidents.
In September, Herridge reported that U.S. authorities were examining a directed-energy device allegedly obtained from a foreign adversary during a covert operation.
According to NewsNation’s September 22 report, the Department of Homeland Security was among the federal agencies reportedly involved in obtaining the device.
Herridge said investigators were studying its components to determine the technology’s origin and potential capabilities.
“My contacts don’t like to name names, but they all say the same thing — that this device really has the fingerprints all over it of a known foreign adversary,” she said.
The government has not publicly released technical findings establishing that the reported device caused any anomalous health incident.
Authorities have also not publicly identified a foreign government responsible for the newly reported cases.
Russia has previously been mentioned in investigations and reporting examining possible directed-energy weapons, although the U.S. intelligence community has not reached a consensus establishing Russian involvement.
The question of foreign responsibility has divided intelligence agencies for years.
In January 2025, a revised intelligence assessment found that most participating agencies continued to consider foreign adversary involvement highly unlikely.
Five of the seven intelligence agencies involved maintained that assessment.
Two agencies adopted more qualified positions, concluding that a foreign actor might have developed or used technology capable of causing some reported symptoms.
One assessed that there was roughly an even chance that a foreign adversary had employed such technology in a small, unidentified number of cases, while another considered development possible but deployment unlikely.
Those alternative assessments were made with low confidence.
The intelligence review did not publicly connect any specific incident to Russia or another foreign government.
Medical research has also produced findings that complicate efforts to identify a single explanation for the reported symptoms.
In March 2024, the National Institutes of Health published two studies examining U.S. government personnel who reported anomalous health incidents.
The NIH researchers found that affected individuals experienced significant symptoms, but advanced brain imaging did not identify statistically significant differences in MRI-detectable brain injuries between patients and comparison groups.
The researchers also found no consistent biological abnormalities that clearly distinguished the affected individuals from control participants.
Those findings did not establish that the reported symptoms were fabricated or insignificant. They demonstrated the difficulty of identifying a common neurological injury or underlying cause.
More recently, a 2026 clinical study involving 40 Walter Reed patients examined the use of cognitive rehabilitation for individuals reporting anomalous health incidents.
Researchers documented symptoms affecting memory, processing speed, headaches and daily functioning.
The study examined treatment experiences and cognitive rehabilitation rather than determining what initially caused the reported incidents.
The distinction between documented symptoms and confirmed injuries caused by an external attack remains central to the scientific and intelligence investigations.
Herridge’s latest reporting has also renewed allegations that some individuals were targeted because of their government work.
In earlier reports, she described suspected incidents involving federal personnel assigned to investigate directed-energy technology at facilities in Northern Virginia.
Some sources alleged that repeated incidents occurred near intelligence-related locations, including research facilities involved in evaluating foreign technology.
Those allegations have not been publicly substantiated through a completed federal investigation.
Herridge indicated that additional government findings could become available before the end of 2026.
“I anticipate that we probably will be learning more before the end of the year about ultimately the government findings,” she said.
The latest accounts therefore raise two separate questions for federal authorities: whether the reported patients experienced a common medical phenomenon and whether any incidents resulted from deliberate actions by another party.
The first question requires medical examination and research, while the second involves intelligence gathering, technical analysis and potentially criminal investigations.
The existence of specialized medical treatment does not itself establish that an individual was exposed to an external weapon or that a hostile government was responsible.
For federal employees experiencing unexplained neurological symptoms, however, determining the cause remains important to ensuring appropriate care and evaluating potential security risks.
As of October 29, Walter Reed and federal authorities had not publicly confirmed the complete number of newly reported patients, released medical findings establishing a common cause or identified anyone responsible for the suspected incidents.
The NewsNation report adds to the continuing investigation into anomalous health incidents, with at least six new suspected cases reportedly under treatment and questions about their origins still unresolved.
Original article
Comments