The House Committee on Homeland Security GOP leaders are seeking answers from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem over a multimillion-dollar device that could be linked to “Havana syndrome.”
A letter sent to Noem requested further information on a device purchased by DHS during the Biden administration that could be linked to anomalous health incidents, also known as Havana syndrome. AHIs are unexplained, sudden health problems that have primarily affected U.S. government personnel, with symptoms such as vertigo, headaches, nausea, cognitive fog, and hearing problems.
House Homeland Security Chairman Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) was joined by Subcommittee Chairmen Michael Guest (R-MI), Carlos Gimenez (R-FL), August Pfluger (R-TX), Josh Brecheen (R-OK), Andy Ogles (R-TN), and Dale Strong (R-AL) in sending the letter.
“According to recent reporting, at the end of the Biden Administration, [Homeland Security Investigations] acquired a device in an undercover operation involving the expenditure of millions of dollars, some or all of which was allegedly sourced from funding provided by the Department of War (DoW),” the chairmen wrote.
“The exact amount of money expended to acquire the device, as well as the source and location from which HSI obtained the device, is unclear, but the total amount paid is alleged to be in the range of ‘eight figures’—which would indicate a price in excess of ten million dollars,” the letter continued.
Assessments from the intelligence community have not conclusively identified the cause of AHIs, with an assessment from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence saying it is “very unlikely” that a foreign actor used something to harm U.S. government personnel.
The device was said to have been acquired in an undercover operation with alleged funding from the Department of War, being described as “capable of producing pulsed radio waves and containing Russian components, though it is not entirely Russian in origin,” the letter read.
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The committee is seeking further information by Jan. 30 on a detailed explanation of the department acquiring the device, the dollar amount, the results of the yearlong testing, and the operational purpose of buying the device.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Democrats on the House Committee on Homeland Security for comment.