1 00:00:04,125 --> 00:00:06,333 Tonight, a mysterious illness 2 00:00:06,500 --> 00:00:09,042 strikes hundreds of government officials. 3 00:00:09,167 --> 00:00:10,167 MARC POLYMEROPOULOS: In the middle of the night, 4 00:00:10,250 --> 00:00:11,458 I woke up and the room was spinning. 5 00:00:11,542 --> 00:00:13,667 I had a terrible case of vertigo. 6 00:00:13,833 --> 00:00:15,583 I was frankly terrified. 7 00:00:15,708 --> 00:00:20,208 Ongoing investigations raise more questions than answers. 8 00:00:20,375 --> 00:00:22,458 MICHAEL HABIB: It's causing a lot of confusion, frustration, 9 00:00:22,542 --> 00:00:24,500 and really starting to feel kinda like 10 00:00:24,583 --> 00:00:26,667 they're in some sort of bad spy thriller. 11 00:00:27,917 --> 00:00:32,250 Now, we reveal the top theories behind this bizarre epidemic. 12 00:00:32,375 --> 00:00:35,000 SASHA INGBER: This could have been caused by something 13 00:00:35,125 --> 00:00:39,500 that was already inside the embassy staff quarters. 14 00:00:39,625 --> 00:00:41,333 JOHN TEFFT: These chemicals have been used 15 00:00:41,500 --> 00:00:44,667 in some of the most deadly chemical attacks on the planet. 16 00:00:44,833 --> 00:00:48,000 Could some foreign power have developed a new sonic weapon? 17 00:00:48,125 --> 00:00:50,125 What's behind the strange phenomenon 18 00:00:50,208 --> 00:00:52,667 known as Havana syndrome? 19 00:00:52,792 --> 00:00:55,208 [music] 20 00:01:08,042 --> 00:01:12,167 November 2016, Havana, Cuba. 21 00:01:12,292 --> 00:01:14,833 As the sun sets on the island, 22 00:01:14,917 --> 00:01:19,458 a U.S. diplomat and his wife are unwinding with friends. 23 00:01:19,542 --> 00:01:22,625 SASHA: This couple has just moved to Cuba, 24 00:01:22,750 --> 00:01:24,500 and their names have been kept 25 00:01:24,625 --> 00:01:26,333 anonymous in reports. 26 00:01:26,417 --> 00:01:28,208 But the diplomat and his wife 27 00:01:28,333 --> 00:01:30,167 are living in an upscale development 28 00:01:30,333 --> 00:01:32,208 called El Country Club. 29 00:01:32,333 --> 00:01:35,042 They're having neighbors over for drinks, 30 00:01:35,167 --> 00:01:37,583 and suddenly they hear this sound, 31 00:01:37,708 --> 00:01:41,500 and it fills the air and sounds kind of like cicadas, 32 00:01:41,667 --> 00:01:45,125 only it's a more piercing metallic sound. 33 00:01:46,208 --> 00:01:48,208 LAURENCE: The noise persists through dinner. 34 00:01:48,333 --> 00:01:49,542 JASON HORTON: At the couple's request, 35 00:01:49,708 --> 00:01:50,708 maintenance workers check 36 00:01:50,833 --> 00:01:51,792 the property for insects, 37 00:01:51,875 --> 00:01:53,250 and look for any electrical issues 38 00:01:53,375 --> 00:01:54,667 that could be causing the racket. 39 00:01:54,792 --> 00:01:56,667 But they find nothing. 40 00:01:56,792 --> 00:01:59,208 LAURENCE: The sound lingers for three months, 41 00:01:59,375 --> 00:02:03,500 during which time the couple falls ill. 42 00:02:03,625 --> 00:02:05,000 JASON: He and his wife have been feeling off 43 00:02:05,167 --> 00:02:07,500 ever since shortly after the sounds began-- 44 00:02:07,667 --> 00:02:10,250 kind of cloudy with difficulty concentrating. 45 00:02:10,375 --> 00:02:12,125 LAURENCE: After a while, the diplomat 46 00:02:12,250 --> 00:02:14,042 shares his experience with coworkers 47 00:02:14,167 --> 00:02:16,000 at the U.S. embassy. 48 00:02:16,083 --> 00:02:18,042 SASHA: A colleague in his 30s 49 00:02:18,167 --> 00:02:21,167 says that he also heard this high-pitched sound 50 00:02:21,292 --> 00:02:23,667 and started to experience health issues. 51 00:02:23,750 --> 00:02:26,000 And he plays some audio 52 00:02:26,125 --> 00:02:27,625 that he's recorded of the incident. 53 00:02:28,958 --> 00:02:30,417 LAURENCE: It's the same noise 54 00:02:30,542 --> 00:02:32,708 the diplomat's been hearing for months. 55 00:02:34,250 --> 00:02:36,042 Days later, that diplomat and his wife 56 00:02:36,208 --> 00:02:37,667 are examined by doctors in Miami 57 00:02:37,792 --> 00:02:40,000 and diagnosed with concussion-like symptoms-- 58 00:02:40,167 --> 00:02:41,917 headache, fatigue, disorientation, 59 00:02:42,042 --> 00:02:43,458 and balance issues. 60 00:02:43,583 --> 00:02:46,250 MICHAEL: More diplomats and others start reporting 61 00:02:46,375 --> 00:02:48,542 exactly the same set of symptoms. 62 00:02:48,667 --> 00:02:50,333 LAURENCE: Over the next two months, 63 00:02:50,500 --> 00:02:53,750 more than two dozen officials in Havana are diagnosed 64 00:02:53,875 --> 00:02:55,375 with the strange condition. 65 00:02:55,500 --> 00:02:57,292 What's even worse, is some of these victims 66 00:02:57,417 --> 00:02:59,208 enter a second phase of the illness 67 00:02:59,333 --> 00:03:01,250 where they have even greater cognitive difficulty 68 00:03:01,375 --> 00:03:03,000 and trouble hearing or seeing. 69 00:03:03,125 --> 00:03:04,458 JOHN: It's really horrible. 70 00:03:04,583 --> 00:03:06,208 These symptoms have just appeared, 71 00:03:06,333 --> 00:03:08,083 and there appears to be no treatment. 72 00:03:08,208 --> 00:03:10,333 You have to wonder, what could cause this 73 00:03:10,417 --> 00:03:11,875 in so many different people? 74 00:03:13,250 --> 00:03:15,667 LAURENCE: To try to learn why, the U.S. government 75 00:03:15,792 --> 00:03:20,042 opens an investigation in January of 2017. 76 00:03:20,167 --> 00:03:22,667 The first group of embassy employees 77 00:03:22,750 --> 00:03:26,000 are thoroughly examined in the United States, 78 00:03:26,083 --> 00:03:27,833 and a report is published 79 00:03:27,958 --> 00:03:32,500 in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2018. 80 00:03:32,625 --> 00:03:34,500 MICHAEL: Perhaps most seriously and notably, 81 00:03:34,583 --> 00:03:37,708 the study concluded that the patients 82 00:03:37,833 --> 00:03:41,542 had sustained widespread injury to brain networks. 83 00:03:41,667 --> 00:03:42,833 JASON: There is a clear physical change 84 00:03:42,958 --> 00:03:45,042 that has happened to the brains of these patients. 85 00:03:45,208 --> 00:03:47,042 It's visible in the MRIs. 86 00:03:47,208 --> 00:03:49,542 But that change is minor compared to the results 87 00:03:49,708 --> 00:03:52,417 of several neurological tests that target memory, 88 00:03:52,542 --> 00:03:55,375 executive functioning, and spatial orientation. 89 00:03:55,542 --> 00:03:57,333 LAURENCE: According to the study, 90 00:03:57,458 --> 00:04:00,167 these same severe effects would occur 91 00:04:00,250 --> 00:04:03,875 after a devastating car crash or explosion. 92 00:04:04,042 --> 00:04:07,875 But none of these victims have experienced that type of trauma. 93 00:04:10,208 --> 00:04:12,750 At a loss, doctors dub the mysterious illness 94 00:04:12,875 --> 00:04:15,000 Havana syndrome. 95 00:04:15,125 --> 00:04:16,667 Is some strange virus or infection 96 00:04:16,792 --> 00:04:18,583 spreading through the American embassy? 97 00:04:18,708 --> 00:04:20,333 JASON: This, of course, is a huge concern 98 00:04:20,458 --> 00:04:22,375 to multiple government agencies. 99 00:04:22,542 --> 00:04:24,250 For no apparent reason, their staffers 100 00:04:24,375 --> 00:04:26,208 are suddenly dropping like flies. 101 00:04:26,375 --> 00:04:28,333 It's not killing anyone, but it's making them 102 00:04:28,458 --> 00:04:30,167 pretty much unable to function in their jobs 103 00:04:30,292 --> 00:04:32,167 and sometimes in their daily lives. 104 00:04:32,292 --> 00:04:35,500 LAURENCE: In 2018, the U.S. government 105 00:04:35,667 --> 00:04:38,542 brings in the CIA, Defense Department, 106 00:04:38,708 --> 00:04:42,667 State Department, and CDC to further investigate. 107 00:04:42,750 --> 00:04:45,375 At the earliest onset of symptoms, 108 00:04:45,500 --> 00:04:48,333 these victims are hearing a chirping, 109 00:04:48,500 --> 00:04:51,667 a screeching, a clicking, and they're also feeling 110 00:04:51,750 --> 00:04:53,875 a certain pressure in their heads. 111 00:04:54,042 --> 00:04:57,250 They say they're hearing these sounds in their homes 112 00:04:57,375 --> 00:04:59,292 or in their hotel rooms, 113 00:04:59,375 --> 00:05:02,417 and there's a certain directionality to the sensation, 114 00:05:02,542 --> 00:05:04,583 almost like it's coming through a wall 115 00:05:04,708 --> 00:05:07,667 or in a specific part of the room. 116 00:05:07,750 --> 00:05:10,042 LAURENCE: Based on the victims' testimony, 117 00:05:10,167 --> 00:05:13,292 officials believe they have the answer. 118 00:05:13,417 --> 00:05:16,458 Diplomats and CIA officers, or spies, 119 00:05:16,583 --> 00:05:18,333 are the ones who were afflicted. 120 00:05:18,458 --> 00:05:21,083 This is not affecting the general public. 121 00:05:21,208 --> 00:05:23,667 So, the U.S.'s first guess 122 00:05:23,792 --> 00:05:26,792 is that it could be a covert sonic weapon. 123 00:05:30,042 --> 00:05:31,458 JASON: In October 2017, 124 00:05:31,542 --> 00:05:33,667 President Trump holds a news conference 125 00:05:33,833 --> 00:05:35,708 where he calls the incidents, quote, 126 00:05:35,875 --> 00:05:37,917 "a very unusual attack." 127 00:05:38,042 --> 00:05:40,875 He's going public with the idea that this is a weapon. 128 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:45,125 SASHA: Sound, like anything, can be and has been weaponized. 129 00:05:45,208 --> 00:05:47,000 It's not something we think about 130 00:05:47,167 --> 00:05:48,833 because we can't see it. 131 00:05:48,917 --> 00:05:52,375 But at certain frequencies, it can cause vomiting 132 00:05:52,500 --> 00:05:55,750 and internal distress, and maybe even death. 133 00:05:55,875 --> 00:05:59,042 LAURENCE: It's something the Nazis tried to harness 134 00:05:59,208 --> 00:06:00,958 during World War II. 135 00:06:01,042 --> 00:06:03,042 JOHN: The Nazi regime had a team of scientists 136 00:06:03,208 --> 00:06:04,667 working on wonder weapons 137 00:06:04,833 --> 00:06:06,792 which they claimed would revolutionize the war. 138 00:06:06,917 --> 00:06:09,667 And their chief architect, Albert Speer, 139 00:06:09,792 --> 00:06:12,500 developed one that's called the acoustic cannon. 140 00:06:12,625 --> 00:06:15,375 The idea is to kill or injure someone 141 00:06:15,500 --> 00:06:20,542 by focusing or magnifying soundwaves on a reflective dish. 142 00:06:20,708 --> 00:06:23,375 JASON: At a distance of around 600 to 1,200 feet, 143 00:06:23,542 --> 00:06:25,833 the sound is reported to cause vertigo and nausea 144 00:06:25,917 --> 00:06:28,167 by vibrating structures in the inner ear. 145 00:06:28,250 --> 00:06:31,000 At closer ranges, it could even damage internal organs. 146 00:06:32,667 --> 00:06:35,833 LAURENCE: But this weapon has one serious flaw. 147 00:06:35,958 --> 00:06:38,542 It's huge. The reflector dishes are so big 148 00:06:38,708 --> 00:06:41,208 that it's hard to maneuver, and any damage to the dishes 149 00:06:41,375 --> 00:06:42,958 would render it entirely inoperable. 150 00:06:43,083 --> 00:06:45,333 LAURENCE: While the Nazis' acoustic cannon 151 00:06:45,417 --> 00:06:47,125 was never used in battle, 152 00:06:47,250 --> 00:06:49,833 it paves the way for modern versions. 153 00:06:49,958 --> 00:06:52,708 MICHAEL: In the early 2000s the U.S. developed a weapon 154 00:06:52,875 --> 00:06:55,667 that it called an LRAD-- long-range acoustic device. 155 00:06:55,833 --> 00:06:59,167 These LRADs are capable of projecting 156 00:06:59,250 --> 00:07:01,833 very powerful pulses or beams of sound 157 00:07:01,958 --> 00:07:03,542 up to two miles away. 158 00:07:03,708 --> 00:07:05,042 [alarm wailing] JASON: And if you set it 159 00:07:05,167 --> 00:07:08,167 to emit high-decibel chirping or a beeping sound, 160 00:07:08,292 --> 00:07:10,042 it could also be used as a deterrent. 161 00:07:10,208 --> 00:07:12,292 Nowadays, our military uses LRADs 162 00:07:12,417 --> 00:07:14,167 for everything from crowd control 163 00:07:14,292 --> 00:07:16,167 to repelling pirates from cruise ships. 164 00:07:16,292 --> 00:07:18,875 At a high enough decibel, LRADs can be used as weapons. 165 00:07:19,042 --> 00:07:21,333 They're certainly capable of creating pain, 166 00:07:21,500 --> 00:07:23,875 nausea, imbalance, and even permanent hearing loss. 167 00:07:25,167 --> 00:07:27,500 LAURENCE: It's a promising lead, 168 00:07:27,667 --> 00:07:29,208 but experts say there's one problem 169 00:07:29,375 --> 00:07:30,792 with the sonic weapon theory. 170 00:07:32,333 --> 00:07:34,583 MICHAEL: LRADs are not subtle weapons. 171 00:07:34,708 --> 00:07:37,708 They are definitely very, very loud. 172 00:07:37,833 --> 00:07:41,000 And given that none of the patients in Havana 173 00:07:41,125 --> 00:07:43,167 reported hearing a loud sound, 174 00:07:43,333 --> 00:07:44,500 their reports are not really consistent 175 00:07:44,667 --> 00:07:46,167 with the use of an LRAD. 176 00:07:46,292 --> 00:07:48,042 JASON: So, the next question becomes, 177 00:07:48,167 --> 00:07:50,833 could some foreign power have developed a new sonic weapon, 178 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:52,917 one that somehow produces the same effects 179 00:07:53,042 --> 00:07:56,208 by primarily using sound outside the range of human hearing? 180 00:07:57,500 --> 00:07:59,792 LAURENCE: There's no evidence found in Cuba. 181 00:07:59,917 --> 00:08:04,000 But in 2019, the Chinese Academy of Sciences 182 00:08:04,167 --> 00:08:06,500 announces a prototype 183 00:08:06,625 --> 00:08:09,667 for the first portable sonic gun. 184 00:08:09,792 --> 00:08:11,458 JOHN: The Chinese claim that they use focus waves 185 00:08:11,542 --> 00:08:13,167 of infrasound. 186 00:08:13,292 --> 00:08:17,458 These waves painfully vibrate the subject's eardrums, 187 00:08:17,542 --> 00:08:19,500 eyes, and brain. 188 00:08:19,625 --> 00:08:21,125 JASON: It may mess with the inner ear, 189 00:08:21,250 --> 00:08:22,792 causing vertigo and imbalance. 190 00:08:22,917 --> 00:08:26,833 Infrasound may also cause nausea, vomiting, bowel spasms, 191 00:08:26,958 --> 00:08:29,833 and potentially affect internal organs like the heart. 192 00:08:29,917 --> 00:08:32,042 In field tests, according to the Chinese team, 193 00:08:32,208 --> 00:08:34,125 it produced extreme discomfort. 194 00:08:34,250 --> 00:08:35,750 JOHN: Of course, this thing had to have been developed 195 00:08:35,875 --> 00:08:38,167 and tested years prior to 2019, 196 00:08:38,333 --> 00:08:40,875 possibly even field tested covertly. 197 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:43,167 JASON: According to the South China Morning Post, 198 00:08:43,292 --> 00:08:46,000 which first reported the story, this device has been approved 199 00:08:46,125 --> 00:08:47,958 for mass production by the Chinese government. 200 00:08:48,083 --> 00:08:49,500 If that's the case, it's definitely been 201 00:08:49,625 --> 00:08:51,000 in the works for quite a while. 202 00:08:52,083 --> 00:08:54,208 LAURENCE: Still, many doubt this technology 203 00:08:54,333 --> 00:08:57,167 is the source of Havana syndrome. 204 00:08:57,292 --> 00:08:59,500 JASON: In the end, infrasound would be a poor choice 205 00:08:59,625 --> 00:09:01,458 because it spreads in all directions. 206 00:09:01,542 --> 00:09:03,833 It'd be difficult to target specific individuals. 207 00:09:03,917 --> 00:09:05,958 Infrasound can't be easily focused. 208 00:09:06,042 --> 00:09:07,792 It would also affect the user of the weapon, 209 00:09:07,875 --> 00:09:09,542 probably more so than some of the targets, 210 00:09:09,667 --> 00:09:11,083 since they're closer to the source. 211 00:09:11,208 --> 00:09:13,625 And frankly, the effects from an infrasonic weapon 212 00:09:13,708 --> 00:09:16,167 would probably be more annoying than debilitating. 213 00:09:16,250 --> 00:09:18,625 SASHA: In February of 2022, 214 00:09:18,708 --> 00:09:21,500 the Office of the Director of National Intelligence 215 00:09:21,625 --> 00:09:24,875 and the CIA state that there's still a possibility 216 00:09:25,042 --> 00:09:28,333 that this could be a sonic weapon in Havana, 217 00:09:28,500 --> 00:09:31,792 but it would need to be placed extremely close to the target, 218 00:09:31,875 --> 00:09:34,833 meaning against a wall or through a window. 219 00:09:34,917 --> 00:09:37,292 In some of these Havana cases, 220 00:09:37,417 --> 00:09:40,083 the victims were in secure facilities 221 00:09:40,208 --> 00:09:42,167 away from public access. 222 00:09:42,292 --> 00:09:45,833 So, is it possible that this was a sonic weapon? 223 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:48,208 Sure. But is it probable? 224 00:09:48,375 --> 00:09:49,083 No. 225 00:09:53,250 --> 00:09:54,750 LAURENCE: In 2016, 226 00:09:54,875 --> 00:09:58,083 after more than two dozen American diplomats 227 00:09:58,208 --> 00:10:02,792 develop a mysterious illness called Havana syndrome, 228 00:10:02,875 --> 00:10:06,333 some government officials suspect an ultrasonic weapon. 229 00:10:07,917 --> 00:10:11,417 But computer security engineer Dr. Kevin Fu 230 00:10:11,542 --> 00:10:14,708 has a more surprising theory. 231 00:10:14,833 --> 00:10:16,708 KEVIN FU: My laboratory uses analog signals 232 00:10:16,875 --> 00:10:18,458 to break into computer systems 233 00:10:18,542 --> 00:10:21,125 with lasers, acoustics, 234 00:10:21,250 --> 00:10:22,583 and soundwaves. 235 00:10:23,625 --> 00:10:26,708 LAURENCE: In other words, Dr. Fu specializes 236 00:10:26,833 --> 00:10:29,792 in hacking some of our most sensitive electronics 237 00:10:29,875 --> 00:10:33,250 to identify security flaws and protect against them. 238 00:10:34,708 --> 00:10:36,458 KEVIN: A few of the examples 239 00:10:36,542 --> 00:10:39,083 include creating a homemade radio transmitter 240 00:10:39,208 --> 00:10:42,583 to induce fatal heart rhythms in a defibrillator. 241 00:10:42,708 --> 00:10:46,583 We have used laser pointers over hundreds of feet 242 00:10:46,708 --> 00:10:48,958 to take over voice-controlled assistance. 243 00:10:49,042 --> 00:10:53,167 We have also turned hard drives into listening devices 244 00:10:53,333 --> 00:10:54,750 through some of the mechanisms 245 00:10:54,875 --> 00:10:57,833 on the inside of the spinning discs. 246 00:10:57,958 --> 00:11:00,708 JASON: So, when Dr. Fu first hears about Havana syndrome, 247 00:11:00,833 --> 00:11:03,375 he realizes, "Hey, this sounds kind of like a phenomenon 248 00:11:03,500 --> 00:11:04,833 "I've encountered before. 249 00:11:04,958 --> 00:11:07,000 "My whole job is to glitch out electronics, 250 00:11:07,125 --> 00:11:10,042 and maybe that's what this is-- a glitch." 251 00:11:10,208 --> 00:11:12,667 Dr. Fu believes the Havana syndrome conditions 252 00:11:12,792 --> 00:11:15,250 could have occurred without any massive secret weapon. 253 00:11:15,375 --> 00:11:18,792 This theory states that this could have been caused 254 00:11:18,917 --> 00:11:21,333 by something that was already inside 255 00:11:21,458 --> 00:11:24,000 the embassy staff quarters. 256 00:11:24,125 --> 00:11:27,333 LAURENCE: According to Fu, there's a good chance 257 00:11:27,458 --> 00:11:30,667 the afflicted American officials were under surveillance 258 00:11:30,833 --> 00:11:34,625 while in Cuba, a detail he thinks is key 259 00:11:34,750 --> 00:11:36,458 to solving this puzzle. 260 00:11:37,583 --> 00:11:40,083 KEVIN: I believe that some kind of unintentional accident 261 00:11:40,208 --> 00:11:43,000 with malfunctioning eavesdropping devices 262 00:11:43,167 --> 00:11:46,667 may have caused the sensations that the witnesses reported. 263 00:11:50,458 --> 00:11:54,167 LAURENCE: When Fidel Castro comes to power in 1959, 264 00:11:54,292 --> 00:11:57,500 American diplomats are unwelcome in Havana 265 00:11:57,667 --> 00:11:59,375 for nearly 20 years. 266 00:11:59,542 --> 00:12:01,917 JASON: But in 1977, the United States 267 00:12:02,042 --> 00:12:03,750 reopens a limited diplomatic relationship 268 00:12:03,875 --> 00:12:06,750 to work with Cuba on areas of mutual interest. 269 00:12:06,875 --> 00:12:09,000 From then on, the Cubans keep a pretty close watch 270 00:12:09,083 --> 00:12:11,125 on any American diplomats in their country. 271 00:12:11,208 --> 00:12:14,375 SASHA: As a State Department official, you'd come home, 272 00:12:14,500 --> 00:12:17,833 and maybe you'd see the TV on or the window open, 273 00:12:17,917 --> 00:12:19,833 and you might be thinking, what's happening? 274 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:22,833 And then you realize that Cuban spies 275 00:12:22,958 --> 00:12:24,708 want you to get this message, 276 00:12:24,875 --> 00:12:26,583 that if you think you're being watched, 277 00:12:26,708 --> 00:12:27,958 you probably are. 278 00:12:28,042 --> 00:12:30,125 JASON: It's almost like a game sometimes. 279 00:12:30,208 --> 00:12:32,500 There are reports of things like an undercover CIA agent 280 00:12:32,625 --> 00:12:34,000 finding his tires punctured, 281 00:12:34,167 --> 00:12:36,333 or maybe his family pet is poisoned. 282 00:12:36,500 --> 00:12:39,125 LAURENCE: Eventually in 2015, 283 00:12:39,208 --> 00:12:42,583 an American embassy reopens in Cuba. 284 00:12:42,708 --> 00:12:47,833 One year later, the first cases of Havana syndrome are reported. 285 00:12:47,917 --> 00:12:49,292 JASON: This is one reason 286 00:12:49,375 --> 00:12:51,208 why the sonic weapon theory never made sense. 287 00:12:51,375 --> 00:12:53,750 Why would the Cuban government initiate a brazen attack 288 00:12:53,875 --> 00:12:55,792 on American officials at the very moment 289 00:12:55,875 --> 00:12:57,625 when they were reopening diplomatic relations? 290 00:12:57,708 --> 00:12:59,500 It just doesn't add up. 291 00:12:59,625 --> 00:13:00,792 JOHN: That doesn't mean the Cubans 292 00:13:00,875 --> 00:13:02,167 quit spying on Americans. 293 00:13:02,333 --> 00:13:04,042 Of course not. Everybody spies on each other, 294 00:13:04,167 --> 00:13:06,333 and we find their devices frequently. 295 00:13:06,458 --> 00:13:08,958 KEVIN: So, when we looked at what the witnesses 296 00:13:09,042 --> 00:13:11,542 reporting about the sensations in Havana, 297 00:13:11,667 --> 00:13:13,583 we started brainstorming about all sorts 298 00:13:13,708 --> 00:13:15,250 of different kinds of conditions 299 00:13:15,375 --> 00:13:16,833 that could make an eavesdropping device 300 00:13:16,917 --> 00:13:20,083 produce the same signals that the witnesses heard. 301 00:13:20,208 --> 00:13:22,083 JASON: If you're going to conduct a spying operation, 302 00:13:22,208 --> 00:13:24,417 you can't just hook up a hidden camera to Wi-Fi. 303 00:13:24,542 --> 00:13:27,667 You've gotta do it in a way that will go completely undetected. 304 00:13:27,792 --> 00:13:29,750 And we know that one way spy devices 305 00:13:29,875 --> 00:13:31,292 secretly transmit information 306 00:13:31,375 --> 00:13:34,125 is through the ultrasonic frequency range. 307 00:13:34,208 --> 00:13:37,000 LAURENCE: Ultrasound technology is most commonly used 308 00:13:37,125 --> 00:13:39,042 in healthcare applications, 309 00:13:39,167 --> 00:13:42,000 motion detectors, and pest repellents. 310 00:13:42,083 --> 00:13:45,208 It's generally considered harmless. 311 00:13:45,375 --> 00:13:47,292 JASON: But Dr. Fu's team has discovered a scenario 312 00:13:47,417 --> 00:13:50,042 where ultrasonic transmitters could become dangerous. 313 00:13:51,375 --> 00:13:53,000 KEVIN: There's an interesting phenomena 314 00:13:53,125 --> 00:13:55,500 when two signals interfere with each other 315 00:13:55,667 --> 00:13:58,167 to create a third tone. 316 00:13:58,250 --> 00:14:01,167 It's called intermodulation distortion. 317 00:14:01,250 --> 00:14:04,833 So, although ultrasound is not audible, 318 00:14:04,958 --> 00:14:06,750 and is designed not to be audible, 319 00:14:06,875 --> 00:14:09,875 if two ultrasonic transmitters come together 320 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:13,708 and cross paths in the air, they can produce a byproduct 321 00:14:13,875 --> 00:14:16,167 that is quite audible to the human ear. 322 00:14:17,375 --> 00:14:19,917 LAURENCE: Dr. Fu's team is able to replicate this phenomenon, 323 00:14:20,042 --> 00:14:22,667 creating the same metallic chirping sound 324 00:14:22,833 --> 00:14:24,833 recorded by American diplomats. 325 00:14:24,958 --> 00:14:26,917 [metallic screeching] 326 00:14:28,500 --> 00:14:30,000 KEVIN: If you listen to the audio recordings 327 00:14:30,167 --> 00:14:31,708 of some of the incidents and the sound 328 00:14:31,875 --> 00:14:33,625 from our experiments in the laboratory, 329 00:14:33,708 --> 00:14:36,333 we found that the two signals were essentially identical. 330 00:14:37,500 --> 00:14:40,542 LAURENCE: But could these sounds actually make people sick? 331 00:14:40,667 --> 00:14:44,125 According to Dr. Fu, it's possible. 332 00:14:44,250 --> 00:14:46,583 We don't know if these particular sounds caused harm, 333 00:14:46,708 --> 00:14:50,000 because our experiments were all confined to the laboratory, 334 00:14:50,083 --> 00:14:52,000 not involving human subjects. 335 00:14:52,083 --> 00:14:54,917 But we do know that sound can cause harm. 336 00:14:55,042 --> 00:14:57,250 It can cause nausea, internal distress, 337 00:14:57,375 --> 00:15:00,125 it can even cause harm to the human body 338 00:15:00,250 --> 00:15:02,792 at intense enough frequencies. 339 00:15:02,875 --> 00:15:05,292 LAURENCE: But not everyone's convinced. 340 00:15:05,417 --> 00:15:07,333 It doesn't make any sense as an intentional act, 341 00:15:07,417 --> 00:15:08,542 at the very least. 342 00:15:08,708 --> 00:15:10,125 If you're spying on somebody, 343 00:15:10,250 --> 00:15:11,875 you do not want your devices 344 00:15:12,042 --> 00:15:13,375 that you're using for surveillance 345 00:15:13,542 --> 00:15:15,875 to drive away the people that you're trying to spy on, 346 00:15:16,042 --> 00:15:18,167 which is exactly what happened. 347 00:15:18,333 --> 00:15:20,417 The reason why Dr. Fu and many others 348 00:15:20,542 --> 00:15:22,667 have researched this is because there's no answers 349 00:15:22,792 --> 00:15:24,500 to what is causing the Havana syndrome. 350 00:15:24,667 --> 00:15:26,375 The U.S. government hasn't been able to figure it out. 351 00:15:26,500 --> 00:15:29,500 At least Dr. Fu has replicated the noise, 352 00:15:29,625 --> 00:15:32,000 and that's more than most people have accomplished. 353 00:15:32,125 --> 00:15:33,833 Part of the scientific process is about exploring 354 00:15:33,917 --> 00:15:35,500 many different hypotheses, 355 00:15:35,667 --> 00:15:38,583 some of which may turn out to be incorrect or less likely. 356 00:15:38,708 --> 00:15:41,292 But we hope that the research done in my laboratory 357 00:15:41,417 --> 00:15:43,833 is helping us come closer as a community to a conclusion 358 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:45,250 to solve this mystery. 359 00:15:50,042 --> 00:15:53,000 LAURENCE: Initially, the mysterious Havana syndrome 360 00:15:53,083 --> 00:15:55,667 only impacts U.S. diplomats in Cuba. 361 00:15:57,042 --> 00:16:01,042 But by March of 2018, diplomats at another embassy 362 00:16:01,167 --> 00:16:03,708 in Havana fall victim. 363 00:16:03,875 --> 00:16:06,167 JASON: It starts happening to the Canadian embassy staff. 364 00:16:06,250 --> 00:16:07,500 This is very strange 365 00:16:07,583 --> 00:16:08,625 because the Canadian embassy 366 00:16:08,708 --> 00:16:09,667 is about three miles away 367 00:16:09,792 --> 00:16:11,000 from the U.S. embassy, 368 00:16:11,167 --> 00:16:13,167 so it's not like they're adjacent or anything. 369 00:16:13,250 --> 00:16:15,000 MICHAEL: Canadian diplomats and their families 370 00:16:15,125 --> 00:16:16,625 start reporting exactly the same 371 00:16:16,750 --> 00:16:17,833 kinds of symptoms 372 00:16:17,958 --> 00:16:19,833 U.S. embassy staff had reported. 373 00:16:19,958 --> 00:16:23,542 Disorientation, nausea, dizziness. 374 00:16:23,667 --> 00:16:27,708 Ultimately, 40 Canadian diplomats fall ill, 375 00:16:27,833 --> 00:16:30,292 and so the Canadian government ends up pulling its diplomats 376 00:16:30,375 --> 00:16:32,083 out of Cuba. 377 00:16:33,208 --> 00:16:36,375 LAURENCE: By 2019, Canada's workforce in Havana 378 00:16:36,500 --> 00:16:38,125 is reduced by half. 379 00:16:38,250 --> 00:16:40,458 This illness, whatever it is, 380 00:16:40,542 --> 00:16:43,000 is severely limiting their ability 381 00:16:43,167 --> 00:16:45,875 to conduct diplomatic relations in Cuba. 382 00:16:46,042 --> 00:16:48,667 LAURENCE: That same year, Canadian officials 383 00:16:48,833 --> 00:16:51,333 launch their own investigation. 384 00:16:51,458 --> 00:16:52,917 At this point, the Americans are probably glad 385 00:16:53,042 --> 00:16:54,167 to have the help. 386 00:16:54,250 --> 00:16:56,167 We've got no clear motive, 387 00:16:56,292 --> 00:16:58,333 no clear means, and no good suspects. 388 00:16:58,500 --> 00:17:01,167 MICHAEL: It's causing a lot of confusion, frustration, 389 00:17:01,292 --> 00:17:02,792 and really starting to feel kinda like 390 00:17:02,917 --> 00:17:05,042 they're in some sort of bad spy thriller. 391 00:17:05,208 --> 00:17:07,083 LAURENCE: Among the Canadian researchers 392 00:17:07,208 --> 00:17:09,500 is Dr. Alon Friedman, 393 00:17:09,625 --> 00:17:12,417 who works at a highly regarded brain research center 394 00:17:12,542 --> 00:17:14,000 in Nova Scotia. 395 00:17:14,167 --> 00:17:16,000 Dr. Friedman is a neuroscientist 396 00:17:16,083 --> 00:17:18,333 who studies the blood-brain barrier, 397 00:17:18,500 --> 00:17:21,500 and in particular, the chemicals that can cross that barrier, 398 00:17:21,625 --> 00:17:23,208 which typically protects your brain 399 00:17:23,333 --> 00:17:25,500 from most chemical attacks. 400 00:17:25,583 --> 00:17:27,792 JOHN: Although some researchers have looked at the causes 401 00:17:27,917 --> 00:17:29,833 being maybe sonic or physical, 402 00:17:29,958 --> 00:17:31,792 Dr. Friedman is looking to see 403 00:17:31,917 --> 00:17:34,042 if it may be a chemical characteristic. 404 00:17:34,208 --> 00:17:35,917 MICHAEL: While the blood-brain barrier 405 00:17:36,042 --> 00:17:38,458 does protect against a lot of chemicals, 406 00:17:38,583 --> 00:17:40,458 it turns out that the number of chemicals 407 00:17:40,542 --> 00:17:42,583 that can cross that blood-brain barrier, 408 00:17:42,708 --> 00:17:44,292 still very large. 409 00:17:44,417 --> 00:17:47,792 And so, Dr. Friedman wants to look at every possibility. 410 00:17:47,917 --> 00:17:50,417 It's not even really finding a needle in a haystack. 411 00:17:50,542 --> 00:17:53,958 It's looking at a haystack and not knowing 412 00:17:54,083 --> 00:17:56,542 if there are any needles inside. 413 00:17:56,708 --> 00:18:00,667 LAURENCE: Dr. Friedman conducts brain scans and MRIs 414 00:18:00,750 --> 00:18:04,167 on 23 Canadian diplomats and their families. 415 00:18:05,250 --> 00:18:08,208 Initial evaluations confirm the Canadians 416 00:18:08,333 --> 00:18:12,292 have damaged brain tissue just like the Americans. 417 00:18:12,375 --> 00:18:14,208 In addition, Dr. Friedman 418 00:18:14,375 --> 00:18:17,000 conducted a range of blood tests, 419 00:18:17,167 --> 00:18:19,667 as well as something called mass spectrometry. 420 00:18:19,833 --> 00:18:22,667 Mass spectrometry is a technique 421 00:18:22,792 --> 00:18:25,917 that creates a fingerprint for a chemical, 422 00:18:26,042 --> 00:18:27,917 allowing you to tell exactly what is there 423 00:18:28,042 --> 00:18:29,750 and how it's comprised. 424 00:18:29,875 --> 00:18:33,292 Specifically, he was on a search for neurotoxins, 425 00:18:33,417 --> 00:18:35,750 because all the symptoms are consistent 426 00:18:35,875 --> 00:18:39,083 with some sort of damage or effect on the nervous system. 427 00:18:39,208 --> 00:18:41,333 JASON: Turns out, they find neurotoxins. 428 00:18:41,417 --> 00:18:43,083 They find them in every single symptomatic patient 429 00:18:43,208 --> 00:18:44,500 that they test. 430 00:18:44,625 --> 00:18:46,500 JOHN: Everyone has some toxins in their body, 431 00:18:46,667 --> 00:18:47,917 but based on this study, 432 00:18:48,042 --> 00:18:49,333 it appears that the Havana syndrome 433 00:18:49,417 --> 00:18:50,750 could have been caused by a chemical weapon. 434 00:18:55,417 --> 00:18:57,250 MICHAEL: The pattern of brain injuries 435 00:18:57,375 --> 00:18:59,458 in the patients from Havana 436 00:18:59,542 --> 00:19:03,875 are consistent with regular low-dose exposure 437 00:19:04,042 --> 00:19:07,292 to a class of neurotoxins called cholinesterase inhibitors. 438 00:19:07,417 --> 00:19:09,542 These chemicals have been used 439 00:19:09,708 --> 00:19:11,958 in some of the most deadly chemical weapons attacks 440 00:19:12,042 --> 00:19:13,667 on the planet. 441 00:19:13,792 --> 00:19:17,417 Now, cholinesterase inhibitors, as the name suggests, 442 00:19:17,542 --> 00:19:20,167 inhibit cholinesterase from working. 443 00:19:20,250 --> 00:19:22,750 This chemical is crucial for the communication 444 00:19:22,875 --> 00:19:24,708 between the brain and the muscles. 445 00:19:24,833 --> 00:19:26,875 If your brain cells cannot talk to each other, 446 00:19:27,042 --> 00:19:28,667 then you have problems thinking. 447 00:19:28,792 --> 00:19:31,458 MICHAEL: Some cholinesterase inhibitors have been weaponized. 448 00:19:31,542 --> 00:19:34,792 One famous example is sarin. 449 00:19:34,917 --> 00:19:38,250 Originally developed by Hitler's Nazi Germany, 450 00:19:38,375 --> 00:19:41,417 it was so devastating that even Hitler was scared to use it. 451 00:19:42,708 --> 00:19:44,208 LAURENCE: Another variant of this chemical 452 00:19:44,333 --> 00:19:46,375 is called Novichok. 453 00:19:46,542 --> 00:19:49,208 This was a chemical that was found in the bloodstream 454 00:19:49,333 --> 00:19:52,167 of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, 455 00:19:52,250 --> 00:19:54,333 who was poisoned in 2020. 456 00:19:54,500 --> 00:19:56,958 MICHAEL: Obviously, cholinesterase inhibitors 457 00:19:57,042 --> 00:19:59,125 can be very dangerous, even deadly. 458 00:19:59,250 --> 00:20:01,458 And so, Dr. Friedman wants to find out 459 00:20:01,542 --> 00:20:03,375 exactly what kind of cholinesterase inhibitor 460 00:20:03,500 --> 00:20:05,417 is affecting these patients. 461 00:20:06,542 --> 00:20:09,500 LAURENCE: After further testing, Dr. Friedman's team 462 00:20:09,583 --> 00:20:12,042 is able to identify the chemical. 463 00:20:12,167 --> 00:20:14,167 It isn't as nasty as sarin or Novichok. 464 00:20:14,250 --> 00:20:16,833 It is something else called temephos. 465 00:20:16,917 --> 00:20:19,042 MICHAEL: Temephos is not particularly lethal, 466 00:20:19,208 --> 00:20:22,125 but regular exposure can cause symptoms 467 00:20:22,208 --> 00:20:26,167 such as dizziness, disorientation, 468 00:20:26,250 --> 00:20:29,292 sensitivity to sounds-- symptoms that align 469 00:20:29,375 --> 00:20:31,333 with what was reported in Havana syndrome. 470 00:20:31,417 --> 00:20:33,833 JOHN: When the Havana syndrome first hits the news, 471 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:36,458 a lot of people are saying this sounds a lot like a weapon. 472 00:20:36,542 --> 00:20:40,667 LAURENCE: But there's also a less sinister possibility. 473 00:20:40,792 --> 00:20:43,167 Temephos is used widely throughout the world 474 00:20:43,250 --> 00:20:45,167 as an agent to control mosquitos. 475 00:20:45,250 --> 00:20:47,125 It attacks the nervous system of the larvae, 476 00:20:47,250 --> 00:20:48,667 preventing them from turning into adults, 477 00:20:48,833 --> 00:20:50,292 and therefore helping to stop the spread 478 00:20:50,375 --> 00:20:51,500 of mosquito-borne illness. 479 00:20:51,667 --> 00:20:54,333 It is in a sense a pesticide. 480 00:20:54,417 --> 00:20:57,417 Dr. Friedman concludes that these diplomats 481 00:20:57,542 --> 00:21:00,500 and their families have been exposed to pesticides. 482 00:21:04,833 --> 00:21:06,333 LAURENCE: Could high levels of pesticide 483 00:21:06,458 --> 00:21:08,875 actually be responsible? 484 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:13,125 In March of 2015, Zika is officially detected in Brazil, 485 00:21:13,208 --> 00:21:16,125 and by 2016, the World Health Organization 486 00:21:16,208 --> 00:21:18,583 has declared it a public health emergency. 487 00:21:18,708 --> 00:21:22,667 LAURENCE: The Zika virus is transmitted by mosquito bites. 488 00:21:23,833 --> 00:21:26,250 JASON: Countries are spraying for mosquitoes like crazy. 489 00:21:26,375 --> 00:21:28,167 Tropical and semitropical places like Cuba 490 00:21:28,333 --> 00:21:30,417 are using vast quantities of temephos. 491 00:21:30,542 --> 00:21:33,250 LAURENCE: And the timing seems to fit. 492 00:21:33,375 --> 00:21:35,083 JOHN: Cuba reports its first outbreak 493 00:21:35,208 --> 00:21:37,875 of the Zika virus in March of 2016. 494 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:40,500 The first American diplomats report symptoms 495 00:21:40,625 --> 00:21:43,333 of the Havana syndrome about six months later. 496 00:21:43,417 --> 00:21:46,833 MICHAEL: Canadian records confirm that in 2017, 497 00:21:46,917 --> 00:21:49,167 the Canadian embassy and its grounds 498 00:21:49,250 --> 00:21:52,333 increased the use of temephos pesticides, 499 00:21:52,458 --> 00:21:54,750 which roughly coincides with symptoms 500 00:21:54,875 --> 00:21:56,625 in their embassy workers. 501 00:21:56,750 --> 00:21:59,333 JOHN: In fact, the EPA has actually outlawed temephos 502 00:21:59,417 --> 00:22:01,500 as a residential pesticide 503 00:22:01,583 --> 00:22:03,583 because of its neurological effects. 504 00:22:03,708 --> 00:22:05,875 LAURENCE: But not everyone's convinced 505 00:22:06,042 --> 00:22:08,500 Friedman's solved the mystery. 506 00:22:08,625 --> 00:22:10,208 JASON: Temephos was being used all over the place 507 00:22:10,333 --> 00:22:11,500 throughout the Americas, 508 00:22:11,625 --> 00:22:13,500 not just at diplomatic residences. 509 00:22:13,625 --> 00:22:15,333 It was in Cuban government offices, 510 00:22:15,500 --> 00:22:17,500 Cuban homes, and dozens of other places 511 00:22:17,583 --> 00:22:19,625 where Havana syndrome didn't occur. 512 00:22:19,708 --> 00:22:22,167 What about Brazil? What about Colombia? 513 00:22:22,250 --> 00:22:24,125 If temephos caused this illness, 514 00:22:24,208 --> 00:22:26,958 you'd have seen it affect a much larger group worldwide. 515 00:22:27,042 --> 00:22:30,500 LAURENCE: Regardless, Dr. Friedman still believes 516 00:22:30,625 --> 00:22:32,833 a chemical could be the cause. 517 00:22:32,958 --> 00:22:34,667 MICHAEL: This doesn't mean that it couldn't be 518 00:22:34,792 --> 00:22:37,292 a neurological agent of some kind at play. 519 00:22:37,375 --> 00:22:39,375 Friedman couldn't test for everything. 520 00:22:39,500 --> 00:22:42,125 He tested for a handful of likely candidates, 521 00:22:42,208 --> 00:22:44,417 and it's possible that there was something else at play 522 00:22:44,542 --> 00:22:46,333 that he didn't test for. 523 00:22:46,458 --> 00:22:49,167 In the end, we can't rule out that the Havana syndrome 524 00:22:49,292 --> 00:22:51,833 may have been caused by chemical exposure. 525 00:22:51,958 --> 00:22:53,333 JASON: Is there another chemical weapon out there 526 00:22:53,458 --> 00:22:54,583 that we don't yet know about? 527 00:22:54,708 --> 00:22:56,833 Hopefully not, but maybe. 528 00:23:01,708 --> 00:23:04,333 As growing fears about the mysterious Havana syndrome 529 00:23:04,417 --> 00:23:06,958 threaten relations between the U.S. and Cuba, 530 00:23:07,083 --> 00:23:10,542 the Cuban government launches its own investigation. 531 00:23:10,667 --> 00:23:15,583 In 2018, Cuba's officials announce their findings, 532 00:23:15,708 --> 00:23:19,708 and identify a surprising new culprit. 533 00:23:20,958 --> 00:23:22,708 JASON: From very early on, the United States has believed 534 00:23:22,875 --> 00:23:25,000 that Cuba is behind Havana syndrome somehow. 535 00:23:25,125 --> 00:23:26,500 I mean, you give it that name, 536 00:23:26,625 --> 00:23:27,833 the president goes on live television 537 00:23:27,958 --> 00:23:29,458 to blame the Cubans, 538 00:23:29,542 --> 00:23:31,000 this is a very bad look for them. 539 00:23:31,125 --> 00:23:32,625 JOHN: Some in the White House 540 00:23:32,708 --> 00:23:34,375 are actually calling this an act of war, 541 00:23:34,542 --> 00:23:35,875 so the Cubans are very anxious 542 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:37,625 to clear their name. 543 00:23:37,708 --> 00:23:40,875 SASHA: The Cuban government interviews about 300 neighbors 544 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:42,542 of these diplomats. 545 00:23:42,708 --> 00:23:45,833 They say that they've gone to the living quarters 546 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:47,458 of embassy staffers, 547 00:23:47,583 --> 00:23:50,500 that they've analyzed air and oil samples, 548 00:23:50,583 --> 00:23:54,250 and that they've conducted dozens of medical examinations 549 00:23:54,375 --> 00:23:56,542 to see if people in the surrounding area 550 00:23:56,667 --> 00:23:59,000 were afflicted, and they say they find nothing. 551 00:23:59,167 --> 00:24:00,458 JASON: The Cubans are saying 552 00:24:00,542 --> 00:24:02,167 there's simply no known form of energy 553 00:24:02,250 --> 00:24:04,000 that can selectively damage the brain 554 00:24:04,125 --> 00:24:05,833 the way the doctors describe. 555 00:24:05,917 --> 00:24:07,958 They're even doubtful that there's a syndrome at all. 556 00:24:08,083 --> 00:24:11,417 LAURENCE: Instead, they offer an alternative explanation 557 00:24:11,542 --> 00:24:14,833 for both the sounds and the symptoms. 558 00:24:14,917 --> 00:24:16,708 JOHN: The Cuban government in their report 559 00:24:16,833 --> 00:24:19,875 theorize that this was not caused by sonic weapons, 560 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:23,042 and the chirping noise heard by everyone was crickets. 561 00:24:23,208 --> 00:24:25,167 The rest of the symptoms, the Cuban government says, 562 00:24:25,292 --> 00:24:26,542 could be caused by stress. 563 00:24:30,708 --> 00:24:32,250 JASON: After all the hours investigating, 564 00:24:32,375 --> 00:24:33,875 evacuating diplomats, 565 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:35,917 conducting extensive medical tests, 566 00:24:36,042 --> 00:24:38,875 to suggest that maybe people were just worn down 567 00:24:39,042 --> 00:24:40,250 by the sound of crickets? 568 00:24:40,375 --> 00:24:41,833 That feels like an insult. 569 00:24:42,958 --> 00:24:46,625 LAURENCE: Two biologists, UC Berkeley's Alexander Stubbs 570 00:24:46,708 --> 00:24:51,167 and the University of Lincoln's Fernando Montealegre-Zapata, 571 00:24:51,292 --> 00:24:53,375 research Cuba's claim. 572 00:24:53,542 --> 00:24:55,333 To them, that metallic chirping noise 573 00:24:55,417 --> 00:24:57,583 recorded in Havana sounds vaguely familiar. 574 00:24:57,708 --> 00:25:00,458 KEVIN: These biologists had a massive database 575 00:25:00,542 --> 00:25:02,458 of the sounds of different kinds of insects, 576 00:25:02,583 --> 00:25:04,333 their mating calls. 577 00:25:04,500 --> 00:25:06,292 And what the biologists found 578 00:25:06,375 --> 00:25:07,667 is that the sounds 579 00:25:07,750 --> 00:25:09,625 that were recorded in Havana 580 00:25:09,750 --> 00:25:13,042 match precisely that of one particular kind of insect, 581 00:25:13,208 --> 00:25:14,833 the Indies cricket. 582 00:25:14,917 --> 00:25:17,958 And moreover, this particular Indies cricket 583 00:25:18,083 --> 00:25:19,792 is resident in Cuba. 584 00:25:19,917 --> 00:25:21,667 LAURENCE: For confirmation, 585 00:25:21,833 --> 00:25:24,333 they use state-of-the-art audio technology. 586 00:25:24,458 --> 00:25:28,833 Forensic audio analysis can be incredibly specific these days. 587 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:32,625 Soundwave patterns can be kind of like fingerprints. 588 00:25:32,708 --> 00:25:35,167 They can even be used to convict killers. 589 00:25:35,250 --> 00:25:37,500 KEVIN: So, what's interesting is that when you apply 590 00:25:37,583 --> 00:25:39,667 some of these acoustic forensic techniques 591 00:25:39,792 --> 00:25:41,875 to what was recorded in Cuba, 592 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:44,833 it's an exact match of the cricket mating call. 593 00:25:44,917 --> 00:25:47,292 SASHA: Obviously, crickets aren't as menacing 594 00:25:47,417 --> 00:25:51,000 as a sonic weapon or a deadly neurotoxin, 595 00:25:51,083 --> 00:25:54,000 but this isn't your garden variety cricket. 596 00:25:54,125 --> 00:25:57,458 The Indies cricket can chirp at 100 decibels, 597 00:25:57,542 --> 00:26:00,000 the same volume as a subway train. 598 00:26:00,125 --> 00:26:02,167 MICHAEL: You can imagine that if you had a couple 599 00:26:02,292 --> 00:26:04,875 in your residence, that could be a really rough night, 600 00:26:05,042 --> 00:26:08,250 especially if you're not habituated to those sounds. 601 00:26:08,375 --> 00:26:10,500 If you're from another country 602 00:26:10,625 --> 00:26:12,042 and this is the first time you've ever heard it, 603 00:26:12,167 --> 00:26:14,042 that could be extremely disruptive. 604 00:26:14,167 --> 00:26:16,833 LAURENCE: According to the Cuban report, 605 00:26:16,958 --> 00:26:20,125 the crickets may be magnifying stress 606 00:26:20,250 --> 00:26:23,667 that the diplomats are already experiencing. 607 00:26:23,833 --> 00:26:26,292 JOHN: The Havana syndrome has some classic telltale signs 608 00:26:26,375 --> 00:26:28,333 of psychogenic illnesses. 609 00:26:28,500 --> 00:26:29,875 There are studies that show that people 610 00:26:30,042 --> 00:26:32,167 who have been exposed to long-term stress 611 00:26:32,292 --> 00:26:35,000 have similar brain scans as the Havana victims. 612 00:26:35,125 --> 00:26:37,500 JASON: That stress might be self-perpetuating. 613 00:26:37,625 --> 00:26:39,500 After the news of a possible weapon 614 00:26:39,583 --> 00:26:41,875 hits the media, the diplomats are put on alert. 615 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:44,333 They're told that someone could be watching them at home. 616 00:26:44,417 --> 00:26:47,417 They're told not to sleep or to stand near their windows, 617 00:26:47,542 --> 00:26:48,917 and to report any strange symptoms. 618 00:26:49,042 --> 00:26:50,417 They're afraid for their families. 619 00:26:50,542 --> 00:26:52,042 They can never feel safe. 620 00:26:52,208 --> 00:26:54,667 LAURENCE: But those suffering from Havana syndrome 621 00:26:54,750 --> 00:26:56,917 strongly disagree. 622 00:26:57,042 --> 00:27:00,250 Several people got sick before there was an alert, 623 00:27:00,375 --> 00:27:04,625 before it reached headlines and people went into panic mode. 624 00:27:04,708 --> 00:27:07,708 And the first four cases were CIA officers. 625 00:27:07,833 --> 00:27:09,958 These are people who are trained 626 00:27:10,042 --> 00:27:12,708 to deal with massive amounts of stress. 627 00:27:13,875 --> 00:27:16,833 LAURENCE: With opinions split over the cricket theory, 628 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:20,500 the U.S. government calls in an elite scientific team 629 00:27:20,625 --> 00:27:23,708 to conduct its own analysis. 630 00:27:23,833 --> 00:27:26,708 JOHN: The federal government has a semi-secret advisory board 631 00:27:26,875 --> 00:27:28,375 known as JASON. 632 00:27:28,542 --> 00:27:30,667 It was originally called Project Sunrise, 633 00:27:30,792 --> 00:27:32,792 and was later changed to the name JASON 634 00:27:32,875 --> 00:27:34,500 from Greek mythology. 635 00:27:34,583 --> 00:27:36,375 It was formed in the aftermath 636 00:27:36,500 --> 00:27:39,167 of the Soviet Sputnik launch in 1960. 637 00:27:39,292 --> 00:27:43,208 SASHA: JASON attracts the nation's most elite scientists 638 00:27:43,375 --> 00:27:45,750 to advise on defense matters, 639 00:27:45,875 --> 00:27:48,375 kind of like what we saw in World War II 640 00:27:48,500 --> 00:27:52,500 with the Manhattan Project when Einstein and Oppenheimer 641 00:27:52,625 --> 00:27:55,542 were researching nuclear energy and weapons. 642 00:27:55,667 --> 00:27:57,542 JASON: Today, there are between 30 and 60 643 00:27:57,708 --> 00:27:59,958 of our country's best scientists involved in JASON, 644 00:28:00,042 --> 00:28:01,667 and they're only activated 645 00:28:01,750 --> 00:28:03,292 when there's a particularly difficult task at hand. 646 00:28:03,417 --> 00:28:05,833 SASHA: And at this point, the U.S. government 647 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:09,875 sees Havana syndrome as such a difficult matter, 648 00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:11,875 that then they turn to JASON. 649 00:28:12,042 --> 00:28:14,250 JASON: Through a Freedom of Information Act request, 650 00:28:14,375 --> 00:28:17,500 JASON's top-secret 2018 report is released to the public. 651 00:28:17,583 --> 00:28:19,083 And while much of it is redacted, 652 00:28:19,208 --> 00:28:21,125 the JASON scientists concur that the noises 653 00:28:21,250 --> 00:28:23,458 on the Havana recordings are crickets. 654 00:28:23,542 --> 00:28:26,625 LAURENCE: While they agree on the source of the sound, 655 00:28:26,708 --> 00:28:29,792 they don't agree on the source of the illness. 656 00:28:29,875 --> 00:28:32,167 The report goes on to say, quote, 657 00:28:32,333 --> 00:28:35,667 "It cannot be ruled out that the perceived sounds, 658 00:28:35,792 --> 00:28:38,375 "while not harmful, are introduced 659 00:28:38,500 --> 00:28:40,750 "by an adversary as deception 660 00:28:40,875 --> 00:28:44,167 "so as to mask an entirely unrelated mode 661 00:28:44,292 --> 00:28:47,875 of causing illness in diplomatic personnel." 662 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:50,333 Basically, they're saying these crickets 663 00:28:50,458 --> 00:28:54,833 could be a distraction to hide another form of attack. 664 00:28:54,958 --> 00:28:58,417 And suddenly, the Cubans blaming the crickets 665 00:28:58,542 --> 00:29:00,333 seems really convenient. 666 00:29:00,458 --> 00:29:02,792 JASON: Maybe the Cubans are involved, maybe not. 667 00:29:02,875 --> 00:29:05,333 Either way, once again, we're left with no idea 668 00:29:05,458 --> 00:29:06,375 what's making our people sick. 669 00:29:10,208 --> 00:29:14,792 LAURENCE: December 2017, Moscow, Russia. 670 00:29:14,917 --> 00:29:17,500 CIA operative Marc Polymeropoulos 671 00:29:17,625 --> 00:29:19,500 is asleep in his hotel room 672 00:29:19,667 --> 00:29:23,208 when he is awakened by a strange sound. 673 00:29:23,333 --> 00:29:24,917 MARC: In the middle of the night, I woke up 674 00:29:25,042 --> 00:29:26,083 and the room was spinning. 675 00:29:26,208 --> 00:29:28,000 I had a terrible case of vertigo. 676 00:29:28,125 --> 00:29:30,667 I couldn't get up. I was falling over. 677 00:29:30,833 --> 00:29:33,333 I had tinnitus, which is ringing in my ears. 678 00:29:33,417 --> 00:29:35,833 I had a splitting headache in the back of my head. 679 00:29:35,958 --> 00:29:37,667 And overall, there was just this incredible feeling 680 00:29:37,833 --> 00:29:38,833 of being disoriented. 681 00:29:38,958 --> 00:29:40,750 I was-- I was frankly terrified. 682 00:29:41,917 --> 00:29:44,542 LAURENCE: At the time, Marc believes he has a bad case 683 00:29:44,667 --> 00:29:46,208 of food poisoning. 684 00:29:46,375 --> 00:29:47,833 I had been in Iraq and Afghanistan, 685 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:49,000 been shot at a whole bunch of times, 686 00:29:49,083 --> 00:29:50,542 but I was flat-out scared. 687 00:29:50,708 --> 00:29:53,125 LAURENCE: A veteran operative, 688 00:29:53,250 --> 00:29:54,875 Marc's been posted on covert missions 689 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:57,000 all over the world. 690 00:29:57,125 --> 00:29:58,750 MARC: I was the Deputy Chief of Operations 691 00:29:58,875 --> 00:30:01,125 of the Europe and Eurasia Missions Center 692 00:30:01,208 --> 00:30:03,667 that entailed oversight over all CIA's clandestine operations 693 00:30:03,792 --> 00:30:05,167 from Dublin, Ireland, 694 00:30:05,292 --> 00:30:06,708 to the farthest regions of Russia, 695 00:30:06,875 --> 00:30:09,167 which encompasses 11 time zones. 696 00:30:09,292 --> 00:30:10,875 So, my position at the time was the equivalent 697 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:12,667 of a three-star general. 698 00:30:12,833 --> 00:30:15,250 It was a routine trip where I'm talking 699 00:30:15,375 --> 00:30:17,083 to my counterparts in the Russian Security Services. 700 00:30:18,625 --> 00:30:22,167 LAURENCE: Marc's symptoms subside for a few days. 701 00:30:22,333 --> 00:30:24,833 MARC: I was eating at a very fancy restaurant in Moscow, 702 00:30:24,958 --> 00:30:27,542 and the symptoms came back, particularly the vertigo. 703 00:30:27,667 --> 00:30:30,333 I remember clearly that the room started spinning again. 704 00:30:30,417 --> 00:30:32,708 The headaches came back even more severe, 705 00:30:32,875 --> 00:30:34,792 the tinnitus, the ringing in my ears. 706 00:30:34,875 --> 00:30:36,250 And I had to get back to my room, 707 00:30:36,375 --> 00:30:37,958 and in effect, for the last couple days of my trip, 708 00:30:38,042 --> 00:30:39,625 I didn't really do much. 709 00:30:39,708 --> 00:30:41,333 The vertigo was so disorienting, 710 00:30:41,458 --> 00:30:43,417 and I kind of crawled up the stairs of the airplane 711 00:30:43,542 --> 00:30:45,417 to finally make my way back to the United States, 712 00:30:45,542 --> 00:30:47,250 hoping that, you know, these symptoms would get better. 713 00:30:48,625 --> 00:30:50,167 LAURENCE: As time goes by, however, 714 00:30:50,250 --> 00:30:52,708 his symptoms only get worse. 715 00:30:52,833 --> 00:30:55,125 I proceeded to go to multiple doctors, 716 00:30:55,250 --> 00:30:57,333 and these included allergists, infectious disease specialists, 717 00:30:57,458 --> 00:31:00,417 multiple neurologists, pain doctors. 718 00:31:00,542 --> 00:31:02,958 And for months and months, they could find no way 719 00:31:03,083 --> 00:31:04,792 to alleviate my symptoms. 720 00:31:04,917 --> 00:31:07,250 But still, it was a mystery to them what occurred. 721 00:31:08,375 --> 00:31:10,792 LAURENCE: One year later, news breaks of a similar illness 722 00:31:10,917 --> 00:31:13,333 affecting diplomats in Havana. 723 00:31:13,458 --> 00:31:14,958 MARC: I still was having these symptoms, 724 00:31:15,083 --> 00:31:17,292 I still was feeling incredibly ill. 725 00:31:17,375 --> 00:31:19,792 When I heard about what had happened to officers 726 00:31:19,917 --> 00:31:21,500 at the U.S. embassy in Havana, 727 00:31:21,625 --> 00:31:23,125 I had actually at the time 728 00:31:23,250 --> 00:31:24,875 thought I could have experienced the same thing. 729 00:31:28,583 --> 00:31:30,417 LAURENCE: Convinced there's a connection, 730 00:31:30,542 --> 00:31:32,333 Marc takes his complaint 731 00:31:32,500 --> 00:31:35,375 to the CIA's Office of Medical Services. 732 00:31:35,500 --> 00:31:37,542 And I went and I asked CIA doctors there, 733 00:31:37,708 --> 00:31:41,083 take a look at me, but in about a 10-minute quick interview 734 00:31:41,208 --> 00:31:44,083 and exam, they thought I did not look like the U.S. officials 735 00:31:44,208 --> 00:31:46,000 who were afflicted by Havana syndrome. 736 00:31:46,167 --> 00:31:48,417 But really, what was interesting and pretty alarming 737 00:31:48,542 --> 00:31:51,208 is that officers that I knew would stop by my office 738 00:31:51,333 --> 00:31:53,125 and they'd say, "Hey, something happened to me." 739 00:31:53,208 --> 00:31:55,167 Their symptoms were very similar. 740 00:31:55,250 --> 00:31:57,917 They had an event occur, usually in a hotel room. 741 00:31:58,042 --> 00:31:59,542 It was the same things, such as vertigo, 742 00:31:59,667 --> 00:32:01,000 splitting headaches. 743 00:32:01,125 --> 00:32:02,417 And like myself, they were all involved 744 00:32:02,542 --> 00:32:04,000 in Russian operations. 745 00:32:04,083 --> 00:32:06,417 Unfortunately, there still was a lot of resistance 746 00:32:06,542 --> 00:32:07,958 from inside the Office of Medical Services. 747 00:32:08,083 --> 00:32:09,708 But really in that timeframe, 748 00:32:09,833 --> 00:32:11,667 I started suffering from brain fog 749 00:32:11,792 --> 00:32:12,833 and had a bout of several weeks 750 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:14,208 where I lost my long-distance vision. 751 00:32:14,333 --> 00:32:16,333 Ultimately, the result of all this, 752 00:32:16,417 --> 00:32:17,958 I couldn't perform my duties. 753 00:32:18,042 --> 00:32:20,500 And in mid-2019, I made the decision 754 00:32:20,625 --> 00:32:22,000 that I would retire. 755 00:32:22,125 --> 00:32:24,792 LAURENCE: Polymeropoulos believes he may be one 756 00:32:24,875 --> 00:32:27,208 of the first to experience Havana syndrome 757 00:32:27,375 --> 00:32:29,333 outside of Cuba. 758 00:32:29,417 --> 00:32:31,833 JASON: In June 2018, nearly a dozen diplomats 759 00:32:31,958 --> 00:32:33,583 are evacuated from Guangzhou, China, 760 00:32:33,708 --> 00:32:35,000 with similar symptoms. 761 00:32:35,125 --> 00:32:37,000 Since then, even more possible cases 762 00:32:37,125 --> 00:32:39,917 have popped up in Georgia, Poland, Taiwan, 763 00:32:40,042 --> 00:32:41,875 Australia, and the list goes on-- 764 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:43,458 Colombia, Kyrgyzstan, 765 00:32:43,542 --> 00:32:45,208 Uzbekistan, and Austria. 766 00:32:45,375 --> 00:32:49,333 LAURENCE: Cases have even been reported on American soil. 767 00:32:49,458 --> 00:32:51,792 MICHAEL: At least two cases of Havana syndrome 768 00:32:51,875 --> 00:32:53,750 have been reported in the United States, 769 00:32:53,875 --> 00:32:56,083 including one on the south side of the White House. 770 00:32:56,208 --> 00:32:58,000 We don't know if these cases are linked, 771 00:32:58,167 --> 00:33:00,083 we don't have any idea of the cause, 772 00:33:00,208 --> 00:33:02,958 but some doctors have dubbed it "the immaculate concussion." 773 00:33:03,042 --> 00:33:06,667 SASHA: Now that Havana syndrome is happening outside of Cuba, 774 00:33:06,792 --> 00:33:10,542 it opens up a staggering array of possibilities. 775 00:33:10,667 --> 00:33:12,000 It doesn't have to be caused 776 00:33:12,125 --> 00:33:14,208 by something developed in Cuba, 777 00:33:14,333 --> 00:33:16,000 but it does have to be something 778 00:33:16,125 --> 00:33:18,833 small enough to be smuggled into Cuba 779 00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:21,125 and into other countries. 780 00:33:21,250 --> 00:33:22,958 JASON: And I'd say that if these many attacks 781 00:33:23,042 --> 00:33:24,708 in various countries are connected, 782 00:33:24,833 --> 00:33:27,500 that pretty much rules out the accidental theories 783 00:33:27,583 --> 00:33:28,875 like pesticides 784 00:33:29,042 --> 00:33:31,417 or poorly-calibrated listening devices. 785 00:33:31,542 --> 00:33:34,000 SASHA: It seems more likely that this is originating 786 00:33:34,125 --> 00:33:37,542 from a country with more influence than Cuba. 787 00:33:37,667 --> 00:33:39,667 I don't think they have the capability 788 00:33:39,792 --> 00:33:41,375 to pull off so many incidents 789 00:33:41,500 --> 00:33:43,792 in so many countries across the world. 790 00:33:43,917 --> 00:33:45,542 MICHAEL: So, the question becomes, 791 00:33:45,667 --> 00:33:48,500 is there a weapon that could possibly fit the bill? 792 00:33:48,625 --> 00:33:52,125 Something small, portable, and in the hands of a government 793 00:33:52,208 --> 00:33:54,500 connected enough to global politics 794 00:33:54,583 --> 00:33:57,292 to get an advantage from causing that kind of panic? 795 00:34:01,333 --> 00:34:03,083 LAURENCE: When cases of Havana syndrome 796 00:34:03,208 --> 00:34:04,917 start surfacing worldwide 797 00:34:05,042 --> 00:34:08,167 in 2018, U.S. officials 798 00:34:08,333 --> 00:34:10,583 can't find a definitive cause. 799 00:34:10,708 --> 00:34:14,042 But former spies like Marc Polymeropoulos 800 00:34:14,167 --> 00:34:16,208 believe they know the source. 801 00:34:16,333 --> 00:34:17,542 Obviously, I wasn't there 802 00:34:17,667 --> 00:34:18,833 in Cuba, but when talking 803 00:34:18,958 --> 00:34:20,500 to the victims, it is very similar 804 00:34:20,667 --> 00:34:23,792 with what I felt at that hotel in Moscow in 2017. 805 00:34:25,375 --> 00:34:27,833 LAURENCE: Polymeropoulos thinks he's the victim 806 00:34:27,958 --> 00:34:30,167 of a unique deadly weapon. 807 00:34:34,417 --> 00:34:36,667 Of course, you've heard the word "microwave" before. 808 00:34:36,833 --> 00:34:38,792 Most of us have microwave ovens 809 00:34:38,875 --> 00:34:41,000 to heat food. 810 00:34:41,125 --> 00:34:43,125 The difference with a microwave weapon 811 00:34:43,208 --> 00:34:45,292 is not the fundamental kinds of waves it's producing. 812 00:34:45,375 --> 00:34:47,167 They're still microwaves. 813 00:34:47,333 --> 00:34:51,500 It's that they're producing them at much, much higher energy. 814 00:34:51,667 --> 00:34:54,250 In other words, you've supersized the system. 815 00:34:54,375 --> 00:34:57,458 KEVIN: There's a small device on the inside of the microwave 816 00:34:57,583 --> 00:35:00,708 that emits tiny, tiny radiofrequency signals. 817 00:35:00,875 --> 00:35:04,167 And these tiny radiofrequency signals heats up molecules. 818 00:35:04,250 --> 00:35:05,958 In the case of a microwave weapon, 819 00:35:06,083 --> 00:35:07,083 you're not simply heating up 820 00:35:07,208 --> 00:35:08,583 a cup of coffee, 821 00:35:08,708 --> 00:35:11,417 but you're actually heating up human tissue. 822 00:35:11,542 --> 00:35:13,792 JOHN: A high-powered microwave weapon 823 00:35:13,875 --> 00:35:15,208 may explain the symptoms-- 824 00:35:15,375 --> 00:35:17,417 the nausea, the vertigo, 825 00:35:17,542 --> 00:35:19,583 the headaches, even the reported sounds. 826 00:35:19,708 --> 00:35:21,167 It can really do a number 827 00:35:21,250 --> 00:35:24,083 on the electro-neurological functions of the brain. 828 00:35:24,208 --> 00:35:25,708 MICHAEL: Unlike a sonic weapon, 829 00:35:25,833 --> 00:35:29,167 which are very difficult to focus into a narrow area, 830 00:35:29,292 --> 00:35:31,333 microwaves are very easy to direct. 831 00:35:31,458 --> 00:35:33,250 JOHN: You point a microwave one way, 832 00:35:33,375 --> 00:35:34,625 and that's the way it goes. 833 00:35:34,750 --> 00:35:36,458 It will not hit the person who's firing it 834 00:35:36,542 --> 00:35:38,542 or impact the surrounding neighborhood. 835 00:35:38,708 --> 00:35:41,333 KEVIN: Microwave technology has been rapidly advancing recently. 836 00:35:41,458 --> 00:35:43,000 Is it possible that a weapon 837 00:35:43,125 --> 00:35:44,125 has been developed that can 838 00:35:44,250 --> 00:35:45,583 target a single individual, 839 00:35:45,708 --> 00:35:46,750 fit in a suitcase, 840 00:35:46,875 --> 00:35:49,208 and be deployed from a few hundred yards away? 841 00:35:49,375 --> 00:35:51,625 Well, the U.S. has already created something pretty close. 842 00:35:53,208 --> 00:35:56,000 LAURENCE: In 2004, the U.S. Marine Corps 843 00:35:56,125 --> 00:35:57,667 commissions the development 844 00:35:57,750 --> 00:36:01,375 of a microwave weapon code-named MEDUSA. 845 00:36:01,542 --> 00:36:05,500 SASHA: MEDUSA, or Mob Excess Deterrent Using Silent Audio, 846 00:36:05,625 --> 00:36:10,208 this was basically a nonlethal microwave ray gun 847 00:36:10,333 --> 00:36:12,542 that could be channeled at people, 848 00:36:12,667 --> 00:36:15,667 and it could potentially incapacitate them. 849 00:36:15,792 --> 00:36:17,792 JOHN: These microwaves can stimulate the parts 850 00:36:17,917 --> 00:36:21,500 of the inner ear and mimic an actual audio signal. 851 00:36:21,583 --> 00:36:23,917 This gets interpreted by the brain as sound. 852 00:36:24,042 --> 00:36:25,792 This is what's called the Frey effect. 853 00:36:25,875 --> 00:36:28,750 MICHAEL: MEDUSA can make you feel like you're hearing 854 00:36:28,875 --> 00:36:31,333 different kinds of sounds, even recognizable sounds 855 00:36:31,417 --> 00:36:33,208 like voices inside your head. 856 00:36:33,333 --> 00:36:36,208 This could be the source of the sounds 857 00:36:36,375 --> 00:36:39,667 reported by those experiencing Havana syndrome. 858 00:36:39,750 --> 00:36:42,125 JOHN: Although the U.S. has been toying with these weapons 859 00:36:42,250 --> 00:36:44,500 for about 20 years, we know of another country 860 00:36:44,625 --> 00:36:46,333 that has been using them for longer. 861 00:36:48,167 --> 00:36:49,500 The Russians deployed a microwave weapon 862 00:36:49,625 --> 00:36:51,292 against the U.S. during the Cold War. 863 00:36:52,458 --> 00:36:58,333 LAURENCE: Starting in 1953 and continuing until 1976, 864 00:36:58,458 --> 00:37:03,208 Soviet authorities aim a near-constant microwave beam 865 00:37:03,333 --> 00:37:06,000 at the U.S. embassy in Moscow. 866 00:37:07,125 --> 00:37:08,958 JOHN: Their goal was to interfere with communications 867 00:37:09,042 --> 00:37:10,500 inside the U.S. embassy. 868 00:37:10,583 --> 00:37:13,667 Intelligence officials called it the Moscow Signal. 869 00:37:13,833 --> 00:37:16,375 Although they detected it early on during routine checks, 870 00:37:16,542 --> 00:37:18,958 American officials kept it quiet. 871 00:37:19,042 --> 00:37:21,333 It's only when the American ambassador to Russia, 872 00:37:21,458 --> 00:37:24,167 Walter Stoessel, threatens to resign in 1975, 873 00:37:24,292 --> 00:37:26,208 that members of his staff are informed. 874 00:37:26,333 --> 00:37:28,750 SASHA: The embassy officials get tested, 875 00:37:28,875 --> 00:37:33,000 and many of them have elevated white blood cell counts. 876 00:37:33,083 --> 00:37:37,250 And Walter Stoessel, like two of three ambassadors before him, 877 00:37:37,375 --> 00:37:39,333 dies of cancer. 878 00:37:39,458 --> 00:37:42,750 And Stoessel had a severe form of leukemia 879 00:37:42,875 --> 00:37:46,125 that reportedly caused his eyes to bleed. 880 00:37:46,250 --> 00:37:48,958 JOHN: Over 100 employees file for damages 881 00:37:49,042 --> 00:37:52,125 against the U.S. for exposure to the Moscow Signal, 882 00:37:52,250 --> 00:37:54,000 but a State Department study 883 00:37:54,167 --> 00:37:55,542 found there was no convincing evidence 884 00:37:55,708 --> 00:37:58,292 of adverse health effects. 885 00:37:58,375 --> 00:38:00,000 SASHA: Now, the lawsuits are dropped, 886 00:38:00,125 --> 00:38:03,333 and it basically fades from public view 887 00:38:03,458 --> 00:38:06,875 until these afflictions, these mysterious cases 888 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:08,417 arise in Havana. 889 00:38:10,042 --> 00:38:13,208 LAURENCE: Could Havana syndrome be the next phase 890 00:38:13,333 --> 00:38:16,333 of a decades-old covert operation? 891 00:38:16,458 --> 00:38:18,500 In my view, what happened to, you know, my colleagues 892 00:38:18,583 --> 00:38:20,292 at the U.S. embassy in Havana, Cuba, 893 00:38:20,375 --> 00:38:22,667 and what's happened to myself and some others 894 00:38:22,792 --> 00:38:25,167 is absolutely a continuation of what the Soviets 895 00:38:25,292 --> 00:38:27,542 were doing to us at the U.S. embassy in Moscow. 896 00:38:27,708 --> 00:38:30,125 That said, you know, we do have another adversaries. 897 00:38:30,250 --> 00:38:32,375 We have the Chinese, we have the Iranians. 898 00:38:32,500 --> 00:38:33,583 And it is entirely possible 899 00:38:33,708 --> 00:38:35,417 that more than one country is doing it. 900 00:38:35,542 --> 00:38:38,708 Polymeropoulos isn't the only spy who believes this. 901 00:38:38,875 --> 00:38:43,417 There's actually another account that is more shocking than his. 902 00:38:43,542 --> 00:38:47,833 LAURENCE: In 1996, NSA Officer Mike Beck 903 00:38:47,917 --> 00:38:51,875 suffers sudden severe fatigue while on assignment 904 00:38:52,042 --> 00:38:54,250 in a classified foreign country. 905 00:38:54,375 --> 00:38:55,833 JASON: This predates Polymeropoulos 906 00:38:55,958 --> 00:38:58,375 and the Havana syndrome cases by about 20 years, 907 00:38:58,542 --> 00:39:01,000 but Beck and his attorney believe it's all related. 908 00:39:01,125 --> 00:39:03,917 JOHN: Beck cannot reveal what country he was in, 909 00:39:04,042 --> 00:39:06,958 but his attorney stated it was a hostile nation 910 00:39:07,083 --> 00:39:09,292 that was not China or Cuba. 911 00:39:09,417 --> 00:39:12,750 SASHA: Beck's job was to go to a diplomatic building 912 00:39:12,875 --> 00:39:15,000 and make sure that it wasn't being bugged. 913 00:39:15,125 --> 00:39:17,167 And while there with his partner, 914 00:39:17,292 --> 00:39:19,833 he does find a suspicious device. 915 00:39:19,958 --> 00:39:22,667 JOHN: The very next day, they both get symptoms 916 00:39:22,833 --> 00:39:25,417 that are now associated with the Havana syndrome. 917 00:39:25,542 --> 00:39:29,667 LAURENCE: Beck fully recovers, but 10 years later, 918 00:39:29,792 --> 00:39:34,083 both he and his partner develop the same form 919 00:39:34,208 --> 00:39:36,542 of Parkinson's disease. 920 00:39:36,667 --> 00:39:38,833 SASHA: Beck is certain this isn't a coincidence, 921 00:39:38,958 --> 00:39:42,292 so he files a claim for workers' compensation, 922 00:39:42,417 --> 00:39:44,542 something that people do every day. 923 00:39:44,667 --> 00:39:47,542 Only, Beck's employer is the NSA, 924 00:39:47,667 --> 00:39:50,875 and his claim relies on top-secret information. 925 00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:52,917 JASON: Incredibly, as part of his claim, 926 00:39:53,042 --> 00:39:56,375 the NSA actually provides Beck with a declassified document 927 00:39:56,542 --> 00:39:57,917 which may finally prove what happened to him. 928 00:39:59,458 --> 00:40:02,000 SASHA: The memo Beck was given states, 929 00:40:02,125 --> 00:40:05,208 "there is intelligence information from 2012 930 00:40:05,375 --> 00:40:07,333 "associating the hostile country 931 00:40:07,458 --> 00:40:10,625 "to which Mr. Beck traveled in the late 1990s 932 00:40:10,750 --> 00:40:13,833 "with a high-powered microwave system weapon 933 00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:17,500 "that may have the ability to weaken, intimidate, 934 00:40:17,667 --> 00:40:21,625 or kill an enemy over time, and without leaving evidence." 935 00:40:21,708 --> 00:40:23,625 It goes on to say this: 936 00:40:23,708 --> 00:40:27,125 "...intelligence information indicated this weapon 937 00:40:27,208 --> 00:40:30,792 "is designed to bathe a target's living quarters in microwaves, 938 00:40:30,875 --> 00:40:33,583 "causing numerous physical effects, 939 00:40:33,708 --> 00:40:36,333 including a damaged nervous system." 940 00:40:36,458 --> 00:40:38,083 Is this proof of the Havana syndrome? 941 00:40:38,208 --> 00:40:39,500 Well, no. 942 00:40:39,625 --> 00:40:41,500 But it does prove what happened to Beck 943 00:40:41,625 --> 00:40:43,625 may be the same thing that happened in Havana. 944 00:40:43,750 --> 00:40:46,250 But at the very least, we now have confirmation 945 00:40:46,375 --> 00:40:47,833 that such a weapon exists. 946 00:40:47,958 --> 00:40:50,750 And if we ever find evidence that that weapon is in Cuba 947 00:40:50,875 --> 00:40:53,542 or some other country, it may explain everything. 948 00:40:53,708 --> 00:40:55,542 Meanwhile, though we can't say why it's happening, 949 00:40:55,667 --> 00:40:57,167 we know this illness is real. 950 00:40:57,292 --> 00:41:00,792 And on October 8th, 2021, Congress passes the Havana Act 951 00:41:00,875 --> 00:41:02,375 to compensate government officials 952 00:41:02,542 --> 00:41:03,708 who've experienced brain injuries 953 00:41:03,875 --> 00:41:05,000 as a result of Havana syndrome. 954 00:41:09,250 --> 00:41:11,333 So far, 1,000 people 955 00:41:11,458 --> 00:41:12,667 have come forward 956 00:41:12,792 --> 00:41:14,167 claiming injuries related to 957 00:41:14,292 --> 00:41:16,500 the so-called Havana syndrome. 958 00:41:16,583 --> 00:41:19,292 And while the investigation remains active, 959 00:41:19,375 --> 00:41:21,750 no concrete evidence has been found 960 00:41:21,875 --> 00:41:24,500 that a U.S. adversary is responsible. 961 00:41:24,583 --> 00:41:26,167 I'm Laurence Fishburne. 962 00:41:26,333 --> 00:41:27,583 Thank you for watching 963 00:41:27,708 --> 00:41:30,083 "History's Greatest Mysteries."