Police investigating ‘Havana syndrome’ cases at US Embassy in Berlin

Cases of the mysterious “Havana syndrome” have been reported at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, according to Reuters.

Police in Berlin reportedly said they had been investigating an “alleged sonic weapon attack on employees of the U.S. Embassy” since August. Authorities did not reveal any additional details.

A State Department spokesperson told The Hill that the agency is “doing everything possible to ensure that employees who reported an AHI [anomalous health incident] have received immediate and appropriate attention and care.”

“Due to privacy concerns and for security reasons, we do not discuss specific reports or Embassy operations, but we take each report we receive extremely seriously and are working to ensure that affected employees get the care they need,” the spokesperson said. 

Cases of Havana syndrome were first reported among U.S. Embassy staff in Cuba in 2016. They are believed to have affected about 200 U.S. personnel across the globe.

The Wall Street Journal reported in August that two U.S. officials in Germany had been hit by the syndrome after experiencing severe headaches, ear pain, fatigue, insomnia and sluggishness.

It’s unclear what exactly causes the syndrome, but some officials believe that it is caused by an attack using radio wave weapons.

President Biden signed the HAVANA Act into law on Friday. It authorizes the CIA and State Department to provide additional financial support to those suffering brain injuries because of the mysterious syndrome. It also directs the agencies to create regulations for making payments and to report to Congress on whether additional legislation is needed.