WASHINGTON, D.C. ––This week,House Committee on Homeland SecurityChairmanAndrew Garbarino (R-NY) led Committee members in sending a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, probing new reports that suggest Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) purchased a device allegedly linked to Anomalous Health Incidents (AHI), also referred to as “Havana Syndrome,” under the Biden administration. 

Co-signers of the letter include Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement Chairman Michael Guest (R-MS), Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security Chairman Carlos Gimenez (R-FL), Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence Chairman August Pfluger (R-TX), Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability Chairman Josh Brecheen (R-OK), Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection Chairman Andy Ogles (R-TN), and Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology Chairman Dale Strong (R-AL).

The chairmen request a detailed explanation of the procurement process used to acquire the device, the final dollar amount paid for it, the results of the year-long testing period, and what specific operational or analytical purpose DHS had for acquiring the device. Read the full letter here and read highlights below.

In the letter, the chairmen write,“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 chairmen conclude,“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.”

Background:

Last Congress, the Committee sent a letter to White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, requesting a briefing from the National Security Council (NSC) on the Biden administration’s response to the growing number of AHIs taking place within the United States homeland. 

In May 2024, Subcommittee Chairman Pfluger led a hearing on “Havana Syndrome” with testimony from Christo Grozev, the lead investigative journalist at The Insider; Greg Edgreen, lieutenant colonel (Ret.) for the United States Army and the founder of Advanced Echelon LLC; and Mark Zaid, founding partner of Mark S. Zaid, PC.

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Homeland Security Committee Republicans