https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/29/us-investigating-peculiar-attacks-with-hallmarks-of-havana-syndrome-near-white-house.html Skip Navigation logo logo Markets * Pre-Markets * U.S. Markets * Currencies * Cryptocurrency * Futures & Commodities * Bonds * Funds & ETFs Business * Economy * Finance * Health & Science * Media * Real Estate * Energy * Environment * Transportation * Industrials * Retail * Wealth * Life * Small Business Investing * Invest In You * Personal Finance * Fintech * Financial Advisors * Trading Nation * Options Action * ETF Street * Buffett Archive * Earnings * Trader Talk Tech * Cybersecurity * Enterprise * Internet * Media * Mobile * Social Media * Venture Capital * Tech Guide Politics * White House * Policy * Defense * Congress * Finding Solutions CNBC TV * Live TV * Live Audio * Business Day Shows * The News with Shepard Smith * Entertainment Shows * Full Episodes * Latest Video * Top Video * CEO Interviews * CNBC Documentaries * CNBC Podcasts * CNBC World * Digital Originals * Live TV Schedule Watchlist PRO * Pro News * Pro Live * Subscribe * Sign In Menu * Make It * USA * INTL Search quotes, news & videos SIGN IN logo Markets * Pre-Markets * U.S. Markets * Currencies * Cryptocurrency * Futures & Commodities * Bonds * Funds & ETFs Business * Economy * Finance * Health & Science * Media * Real Estate * Energy * Environment * Transportation * Industrials * Retail * Wealth * Life * Small Business Investing * Invest In You * Personal Finance * Fintech * Financial Advisors * Trading Nation * Options Action * ETF Street * Buffett Archive * Earnings * Trader Talk Tech * Cybersecurity * Enterprise * Internet * Media * Mobile * Social Media * Venture Capital * Tech Guide Politics * White House * Policy * Defense * Congress * Finding Solutions CNBC TV * Live TV * Live Audio * Business Day Shows * The News with Shepard Smith * Entertainment Shows * Full Episodes * Latest Video * Top Video * CEO Interviews * CNBC Documentaries * CNBC Podcasts * CNBC World * Digital Originals * Live TV Schedule Watchlist PRO * Pro News * Pro Live * Subscribe * Sign In Menu Politics U.S. investigating peculiar attacks with hallmarks of 'Havana syndrome' near White House Published Thu, Apr 29 20211:24 PM EDTUpdated 5 Hours Ago Amanda Macias@amanda_m_macias ShareShare Article via FacebookShare Article via TwitterShare Article via LinkedInShare Article via Email Key Points * Federal agencies are investigating at least two mysterious incidents on U.S. soil with some hallmarks of the "Havana syndrome." * Lawmakers on the House and Senate Armed Services Committee confirmed to NBC News on Thursday that they were briefed in April on the investigation. * In 2016, U.S. diplomats and their support staff stationed in Havana reported hearing strange sounds, steady pulses of pressure in their heads and a number of other bizarre physical sensations. In some cases, diplomats noticed a sharp deterioration in their hearing and vision. View Of White House And South Lawn From A Window In The Washington Monument, Washington, D.C. Shannon Dunaway / EyeEm | EyeEm | Getty Images WASHINGTON -- Federal agencies are investigating at least two mysterious incidents on U.S. soil with some hallmarks of the "Havana syndrome," invisible attacks reported by American diplomats based in Cuba. Lawmakers on the House and Senate Armed Services Committee confirmed to NBC News on Thursday that they were briefed in April on the investigation. One of the unexplained attacks, reported by CNN, occurred in November near the Ellipse, the oval lawn south of the White House. The person who was sickened by the attack is a National Security Council official, people told CNN. Earlier on Thursday, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told lawmakers she would work to provide Congress with more information on such investigations after she was asked about the reported attacks. But she was light on details because the information is classified. "I completely understand that getting the information is critical for you to be able to respond to these issues and ensure that you're able to make good decisions," Haines told U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., during testimony before the Senate Committee on Armed Services. "Our concern obviously with the classification is because it's either protecting sources and methods and it's critical to our national security," Haines added. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines speaks during a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing about worldwide threats, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, April 14, 2021. Graeme Jennings | Pool | Reuters In 2016, U.S. diplomats and their support staff stationed in Havana reported hearing strange sounds, steady pulses of pressure in their heads and a number of other bizarre physical sensations. In some cases, diplomats noticed a sharp deterioration in their hearing and vision. Canadian diplomats serving missions in Havana also reported similar symptoms. Physicians enlisted by the State Department said that brain scans of 21 affected U.S. personnel showed structural changes to the brain that had not been identified or linked to any known disorder. The State Department gradually evacuated most of its diplomatic staff from Havana by 2018. Personnel gather at the U.S. Embassy on September 29, 2017 in Havana, Cuba. Sven Creutzmann | Mambo Photo | Getty Images In February, the State Department said that while it investigates the mysterious neurological symptoms reported by American diplomats in Cuba, it will install a new senior-level advisor to manage future incidents. "This advisor will be positioned in a senior role and will report directly to the department's senior leadership to ensure, as I said, that we continue to make significant strides to address this issue and to ensure our people are receiving the treatment they need," State spokesman Ned Price told reporters on Feb. 11. "We have no higher priority than the safety and the security of U.S. personnel, their families, other U.S. citizens both of course in this country and around the world," he added at the time. Price also said the investigation is a high priority for Secretary of State Antony Blinken and that the matter was one of the first briefings he requested from the transition team. logo * Subscribe to CNBC PRO * Licensing & Reprints * CNBC Councils * Supply Chain Values * CNBC on Peacock * Advertise With Us * Join the CNBC Panel * Digital Products * News Releases * Closed Captioning * Corrections * About CNBC * Internships * Site Map * Podcasts * Ad Choices * Careers * Help * Contact * * * * * * * News Tips Got a confidential news tip? We want to hear from you. Get In Touch CNBC Newsletters Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox Sign Up Now Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. Privacy Policy|Do Not Sell My Personal Information|CA Notice|Terms of Service (c) 2021 CNBC LLC. All Rights Reserved. A Division of NBCUniversal Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. 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