American diplomats serving in Cuba may have been the target of deliberate microwave beam attacks in the months following Donald Trump's election win.
In March, a report by the Journal of the American Medical Association detailed how 21 individuals were exposed to "directional audible and sensory phenomena" — causing them a medical mystery of sorts. The study’s lead author told The New York Times Sunday microwaves are now “a main suspect” and they're pretty sure it caused the diplomats' brain injuries.
American embassy personnel in Havana found themselves feeling physically ill in November 2016. They recalled hearing high-pitch noises in their homes and hotel rooms, and suffered from severe headaches, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, sleep problems and hearing loss.
In September 2017, then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said they were targeted deliberately, but did not say by who. A senior administration official told CNN the strained relationship between the U.S. and Cuba could be the motive behind the suspected attack. During the 2016 campaign, Trump criticized President Obama's attempt to normalize relations with Cuba, and the attacks started shortly after the election.
Since Russia is one of the few countries known to use microwave technology as a weapon, the official said one theory among investigators is that Cuban intelligence officials worked with Russia on the attack.
Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN.
