At Least Six New Suspected Havana Syndrome Cases Being Treated at Walter Reed, Report Says

At least six new suspected cases of "Havana Syndrome" involving U.S. government personnel are being treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center outside Washington, according to investigative journalist Catherine Herridge.

The patients have confirmed or suspected brain injuries linked to what the government formally calls Anomalous Health Incidents, or AHIs. Herridge reported that the cases have emerged since the summer.

Walter Reed, in Bethesda, Maryland, is home to the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, which specializes in traumatic brain injuries and has treated personnel who reported similar incidents in the past.

Incidents on American Soil

What makes the latest reports stand out is where they happened. Unlike the early cases tied to diplomatic posts abroad, these incidents reportedly occurred inside the United States.

Herridge has previously reported more than two dozen suspected directed-energy incidents on U.S. soil, including a cluster at a government facility in Northern Virginia.

She also reported that at least two senior government personnel working on directed-energy projects have described suspected incidents around Washington in recent months. One reportedly works for the Department of War and the other for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

The fact that some of those affected were reportedly working on directed-energy research has sharpened questions about whether an adversary could be targeting American personnel at home.

Investigators, however, have not publicly identified a cause or named any foreign government or other party as responsible. The U.S. government is reportedly looking into whether a foreign entity could be connected, but no attribution has been announced.

Strange Details

Some suspected victims told Herridge they noticed suspicious vehicles nearby before feeling sudden shocks or disorientation. Others said their dogs seemed to react to something before they themselves noticed anything.

"I've had people tell me that they've been walking their dogs" when the animals suddenly reacted, Herridge said. Those are accounts from suspected victims and do not on their own prove that a weapon or deliberate attack was involved.

Walter Reed did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to the Daily Caller News Foundation.

A Decade-Old Mystery

Havana Syndrome got its name after American diplomats and intelligence personnel in Cuba began reporting mysterious neurological symptoms in 2016. Similar reports later came from U.S. personnel and family members in many other countries.

Symptoms have included ringing in the ears, dizziness, vertigo and blurred vision, sometimes after people heard unusual sounds or felt intense sensations. The government uses the term AHI because the cause, and whether the cases are even related, remains disputed.

A 2023 intelligence assessment concluded it was "very unlikely" that a foreign adversary was behind the broad set of reported incidents. That finding did not settle the matter for many affected personnel and lawmakers.

In 2024, a joint investigation by The Insider, CBS News' "60 Minutes" and Der Spiegel reported evidence potentially linking members of Russia's GRU Unit 29155 to some incidents. The House Intelligence Committee has also examined the government's response, and former State Department official Mark Lenzi wrote last week that he testified before the committee about alleged microwave attacks.

With new patients reportedly under care just miles from the capital, pressure for real answers is likely to keep building.