Did US use a sonic weapon in Venezuela Operation? Here's what Havana Syndrome lawyer has to say

Whistleblower lawyer Mark S. Zaid refuted viral claims that the US used a sonic weapon against Venezuelan forces during a raid on President Maduro, stating there’s no evidence linking such devices to the operation, despite ongoing speculation and past incidents.

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A prominent whistleblower lawyer who has spent years advocating for victims of Havana Syndrome or Anomalous Health Incidents (AHI) has rejected a widely shared viral claim that the United States used a sonic weapon to intimidate Venezuelan forces during a recent operation to capture President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

The dramatic account began circulating after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt shared on X a Venezuelan security guard’s testimony. In that narration, the guard described how an “intense sound wave” during the operation made troops bleed from their noses, vomit blood and fall incapacitated, suggesting the use of advanced technology against them.

The post rapidly gained global attention, with some observers likening the symptoms to effects attributed to directed energy weapons, which use focused waves such as microwaves or lasers to disable targets. “Some of those systems can cause bleeding, pain, burning and the inability to function,” a former US intelligence source told reporters.

However, Mark S. Zaid, an attorney who has testified before the US Congress on sonic weapons and their long-term effects, stressed that the viral narrative has no basis in the known facts of the Venezuela operation.

In a series of posts on X, Zaid said that while he had heard from multiple sources that the US government might possess “one or more such devices” linked to anomalous health incidents, this information was unrelated to the claims being spread about the Venezuelan raid. He wrote:

“As attorney for nearly three dozen federal victims, mostly from w/i Intelligence Community, of #AnomalousHealthIncidents, I can confirm that I had the same information of USG possessing one or more such devices – and from different sources. Time for the CIA to reveal what it knows.”

Zaid made clear there was no connection between the alleged captured device and the Venezuela accounts shared over the weekend by the press secretary. He added: “To be clear, whatever captured device concerning #AnomalousHealthIncidents these new sources are referring to is NOT I repeat NOT connected to the Venezuela stories from over the weekend that the Press Secretary was pushing out. We are waiting for further transparency.”

The broader phenomenon of Havana Syndrome first emerged in Cuba in 2016, when US diplomatic and intelligence personnel reported strange ailments after diplomatic ties were restored. Hundreds of American officials and family members have since reported similar symptoms around the world.

After a multi-year investigation into nearly 1,000 reported incidents, US intelligence concluded in March 2023 that Havana Syndrome was not caused by a foreign adversary using an energy weapon. This assessment was part of a review into the global pattern of anomalous health incidents among diplomats, spies and embassy staff.

The Venezuelan guard’s vivid account has nevertheless fueled speculation about secret military technology. But lawyers and experts involved with Havana Syndrome victims maintain that the current evidence does not support the claim that any sonic or directed energy weapon was deployed in the Venezuelan operation.