VIRGINIA — The U.S. military inquiry into Havana syndrome is using technology from the private surveillance firm Anomaly 6. The Virginia-based startup was selected by the U.S. Air Force Concepts, Development, and Management Office to support the Pentagon’s official Havana syndrome investigatory task force, known as the Anomalous Health Incidents Cross Functional Team.

The nearly $6 million contract, described in public procurement records as Project Yellowfin, is set to run through September. Federal records indicate the Anomalous Health Incidents Cross-Functional Team will use Anomaly 6’s expertise in location intelligence to identify actors and activities of interest. The contract also requires the contractor to produce data visualization products for use as stand-alone brief materials by decision-makers and senior leaders.

Anomaly 6 purchases bulk cellular location data harvested from smartphone users. In a 2022 closed-door business pitch, the company demonstrated its surveillance capabilities by pinpointing the movements of CIA and NSA employees commuting between their homes and agency headquarters. During the same presentation, Anomaly 6 also showed its ability to track the movements of Chinese and Russian military personnel.

The Anomalous Health Incidents Cross Functional Team studies symptoms claimed by personnel from U.S. spy agencies, the State Department, and other federal entities. Havana syndrome, also known as anomalous health incidents (AHIs), is a disputed medical condition affecting U.S. and Canadian government personnel; it is not recognized as a disease by the medical community. Canada reduced its personnel in Havana in 2019 after its embassy employees reported similar symptoms.

A U.S. intelligence community report released last year stated that most constituent agencies believe it is highly unlikely the symptoms are the result of actions by a national adversary. Despite that assessment, the military continues its investigation using Anomaly 6’s technology.

Former CIA analyst Erika Stith, who reported experiencing symptoms, said in 2022, "My brain is broken." She added, "We got this as a result of serving our country," and said, "And we deserve to be taken care of."