This week, members of the House Committee on Homeland Security, led by Chairman Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem. The letter seeks information about reports that Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) purchased a device allegedly connected to Anomalous Health Incidents (AHI), commonly known as “Havana Syndrome,” during the Biden administration.
The letter was co-signed by Subcommittee Chairmen Michael Guest (R-MS), Carlos Gimenez (R-FL), August Pfluger (R-TX), Josh Brecheen (R-OK), Andy Ogles (R-TN), and Dale Strong (R-AL). These committee leaders are asking for details on how the device was procured, the amount spent, findings from a year-long testing period, and the intended use of the device by DHS.
In their communication, the chairmen wrote: “While assessments from the Intelligence Community (IC) do not conclusively identify the factors causing AHIs or any foreign actor responsible, an assessment from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) presented a majority view concluding that it was ‘very unlikely’ that a foreign actor ‘used a novel weapon or prototype device to harm even a subset of the U.S. Government personnel,’ with five out of seven agencies agreeing with that assessment. However, two agencies dissented from the majority view and assessed that there was a chance that foreign actors may have developed some sort of ‘novel weapon or prototype device’ that could have harmed U.S. personnel.”
The letter also states: “According to recent reporting, at the end of the Biden Administration, HSI 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 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.”
Previously, during last Congress, this committee requested a briefing from White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan regarding how the administration was responding to increased reports of AHIs within U.S. borders. In May 2024, Subcommittee Chairman Pfluger conducted a hearing on “Havana Syndrome” featuring testimony from investigative journalist Christo Grozev; retired United States Army lieutenant colonel Greg Edgreen; and attorney Mark Zaid.
