Sen. Marco Rubio pushed back Sunday against comments from a Republican colleague that the United States has found no evidence of “sonic attacks” in Cuba.

The Florida Republican charged the attacks were a “documented fact.”

In a series of tweets Sunday, Rubio dismissed comments by Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, a longtime advocate for improving ties with Cuba, stating that any U.S. official briefed on the mysterious events in Havana “knows full well that while method of attack still in question, that attacks and injuries occurred isn’t.”

“It’s a documented FACT that 24 U.S. govt officials & spouses were victims of some sort of sophisticated attack while stationed in Havana,” Rubio tweeted.

Flake said Saturday that he has seen no evidence that American diplomats who suffered health symptoms while in Havana were “attacked,” according to the Associated Press.

After meeting with high ranking Cuban officials, Flake said classified briefings from U.S. officials had given him no reason to doubt Cuban officials who said there was no evidence any health symptoms were a result of an attack.

Rubio countered calling it impossible “to conduct 24 separate & sophisticated attacks" on U.S. government personnel without Cuban officials knowing.

The back and forth between the two senators sets up a potentially explosive hearing Tuesday at a highly anticipated Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee hearing chaired by Rubio. Members are expected to press State Department officials for more answers about the mysterious events.

The Trump administration has already pulled much of the U.S embassy staff from Havana and expelled 15 of their Cuban counterparts working in Washington.

The State Department has never accused Cuba of being behind the incidents. But it has repeatedly warned that Havana is responsible for the safety of foreign diplomats on its soil under the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations. </s> Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., says that the United States has not found proof that Cuba launched an attack with an unknown weapon against American officials in the country.

After meeting with Cuban officials, including Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez, Flake said that the FBI told the officials that they have found no evidence that the mysterious illnesses experienced by U.S. diplomats and agents were due to attacks.

“The Cuban Interior Ministry is saying the FBI has told them there is no evidence of a sonic attack, even though that term is being used, attack, there is no evidence of it,” Flake told the Associated Press. “There’s no evidence that somebody purposefully tried to harm somebody. Nobody is saying that these people didn’t experience some event, but there’s no evidence that that was a deliberate attack by somebody, either the Cubans or anybody else."

“As I said, I won’t talk about what I have seen in a classified setting, but nothing is inconsistent with what the Cubans have said, and I think the FBI would say that," Flake added.

Flake is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and an advocate of easing of relations with the Cubans. He said that classified briefings has backed up Cuban claims that they were not behind the illnesses, which struck 24 U.S. officials and their spouses in Havana starting in 2016.

Due to the illnesses and health risk, the U.S. withdrew most of their diplomats and officials out of Havana and did the same to Cuban diplomats in Washington. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said in the past that he is "convinced" the attacks were targeted. </s> Republican Sen. Jeff Flake says the U.S. has found no evidence that American diplomats in Havana were the victims of attacks with an unknown weapon.

Flake, a Senate Foreign Relations Committee member and a longtime leading advocate of detente with Cuba, met Friday with high-ranking Cuban officials including Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez and officials from the Interior Ministry, which oversees domestic security and works with foreign law-enforcement agencies.

The Cubans told Flake the FBI has told them that, after four trips to Cuba, its agents have found no evidence that mysterious illnesses suffered by U.S. diplomats were the result of attacks. Flake told The Associated Press on Saturday morning that classified briefings from U.S. officials have left him with no reason to doubt the Cuban account, although he declined to discuss the contents of those briefings.

Cuban and FBI officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Saturday. CBS News has reached out to Flake's communications director for further comment.

The U.S. federal government says roughly two dozen U.S. officials and spouses fell ill in Havana in their homes and some hotels starting in 2016. But one of the medically confirmed Americans injured has said the U.S. response was handled "poorly," and their complaints were ignored by senior embassy leadership and key State Department officials in Washington for months. The U.S. staffers said they heard loud, strange bizarre before falling ill, prompting speculation that they were targeted by sonic devices.

An incident reported last year by a USAID officer based at the American embassy in Uzbekistan is raising suspicions Russia may have been involved and could have had a hand in bizarre attacks targeting U.S. diplomats in Cuba, American sources have told CBS News. In September, the officer and his wife reported, according to one source familiar with the incident, what may have been at least one acoustic attack similar to those experienced by the diplomats in Havana.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said he's "convinced these were targeted attacks," but the U.S. doesn't know who's behind them. The U.S. has withdrawn most of its diplomats from Havana, citing a health risk, and forced many Cuban diplomats to leave Washington.

Cuba has decried the reductions as an unjustified blow to U.S.-Cuban relations that were restored under President Barack Obama.

"The Cuban Interior Ministry is saying the FBI has told them there is no evidence of a sonic attack, even though that term is being used, attack, there is no evidence of it," Flake told the AP. "There's no evidence that somebody purposefully tried to harm somebody. Nobody is saying that these people didn't experience some event, but there's no evidence that that was a deliberate attack by somebody, either the Cubans or anybody else.

"As I said, I won't talk about what I have seen in a classified setting, but nothing is inconsistent with what the Cubans have said, and I think the FBI would say that."

Flake, one of President Trump's toughest Republican critics, announced last year that he would not seek re-election. He has not ruled out running against Mr. Trump in 2020.

Several of the U.S. diplomats and spouses reported hearing loud, mysterious sounds followed by hearing loss and ear-ringing, leading some U.S. officials to describe the incidents as "sonic attacks." But officials are now carefully avoiding that term.

Medical testing has revealed that some embassy workers had apparent abnormalities in their white matter tracts that let different parts of the brain communicate, several U.S. officials said, and acoustic waves have never been shown to alter those tracts. </s> MIAMI - Florida Sen. Marco Rubio pushed back against claims that almost two dozen U.S. diplomats in Havana were victims of an illness, not an attack by the Cuban government.

"It’s a documented fact that 24 U.S. government officials and spouses were victims of some sort of sophisticated attack while stationed in Havana," Rubio said Sunday. "Any U.S. official briefed on matter knows full well that while method of attack still in question, that attacks and injuries occurred isn’t."

Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake said Saturday the U.S. has found no evidence the diplomats in Havana were the victims of attacks with an unknown weapon.

Flake, a Senate Foreign Relations Committee member and a longtime leading advocate of detente with Cuba, met Friday with high-ranking Cuban officials including Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez and officials from the Interior Ministry, which oversees domestic security and works with foreign law-enforcement agencies.

The Cubans told Flake the FBI has told them that, after four trips to Cuba, its agents have found no evidence that mysterious illnesses suffered by U.S. diplomats were the result of attacks.

Flake said that classified briefings from U.S. officials have left him with no reason to doubt the Cuban account, although he declined to discuss the contents of those briefings.

Washington says 24 U.S. government officials and spouses fell ill in Havana in their homes and some hotels starting in 2016.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said he's "convinced these were targeted attacks," but the U.S. doesn't know who's behind them. The U.S. has withdrawn most of its diplomats from Havana, citing a health risk, and forced many Cuban diplomats to leave Washington.

Several of the 24 U.S. diplomats and spouses reported hearing loud, mysterious sounds followed by hearing loss and ear-ringing, leading some U.S. officials to describe the incidents as “sonic attacks.” But officials are now carefully avoiding that term.

Rubio is one of the harshest critics of the Cuban government in Congress. He also said while the details of what happened to the diplomats are unclear, he said he's convinced the Cuban government was involved.

"It is impossible to conduct 24 separate and sophisticated attacks on U.S. government personnel in Havana without Castro regime knowing about it," Rubio said.

Copyright 2018 by WPLG Local10.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> HAVANA — Republican Sen. Jeff Flake says the U.S. has found no evidence that American diplomats in Havana were the victims of attacks with an unknown weapon.

Flake, a Senate Foreign Relations Committee member and a longtime leading advocate of detente with Cuba, met Friday with high-ranking Cuban officials including Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez and officials from the Interior Ministry, which oversees domestic security and works with foreign law-enforcement agencies.

The Cubans told Flake the FBI has told them that, after four trips to Cuba, its agents have found no evidence that mysterious illnesses suffered by U.S. diplomats were the result of attacks.

Flake told The Associated Press on Saturday morning that classified briefings from U.S. officials have left him with no reason to doubt the Cuban account, although he declined to discuss the contents of those briefings.

Cuban and FBI officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Saturday.

Washington says 24 U.S. government officials and spouses fell ill in Havana in their homes and some hotels starting in 2016.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said he's "convinced these were targeted attacks," but the U.S. doesn't know who's behind them. The U.S. has withdrawn most of its diplomats from Havana, citing a health risk, and forced many Cuban diplomats to leave Washington.

Cuba has decried the reductions as an unjustified blow to U.S.-Cuban relations that were restored under President Barack Obama.

"The Cuban Interior Ministry is saying the FBI has told them there is no evidence of a sonic attack, even though that term is being used, attack, there is no evidence of it," Flake told the AP. "There's no evidence that somebody purposefully tried to harm somebody. Nobody is saying that these people didn't experience some event, but there's no evidence that that was a deliberate attack by somebody, either the Cubans or anybody else.

"As I said, I won't talk about what I have seen in a classified setting, but nothing is inconsistent with what the Cubans have said, and I think the FBI would say that." </s> HAVANA (AP) — Republican Sen. Jeff Flake says the U.S. has found no evidence that American diplomats in Havana were the victims of attacks with an unknown weapon.

Flake, a Senate Foreign Relations Committee member, met with high-ranking Cuban officials in Havana on Friday. He spoke with The Associated Press on Saturday morning.

The Cubans told Flake the FBI has told them its agents found no evidence that mysterious illnesses suffered by U.S. diplomats resulted from attacks, despite the Trump administration’s description of the incidents as attacks. Flake says classified briefings from U.S. officials have left him with no reason to doubt the Cuban account. The U.S. has pulled most of its staff from Havana in response to the incidents.

Cuban and FBI officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. </s> The Cubans told Flake the FBI has told them that, after four trips to Cuba, its agents have found no evidence that mysterious illnesses suffered by U.S. diplomats were the result of attacks.

Flake, a Senate Foreign Relations Committee member and a longtime leading advocate of detente with Cuba, met Friday with high-ranking Cuban officials including Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez and officials from the Interior Ministry, which oversees domestic security and works with foreign law-enforcement agencies.

HAVANA—Republican Sen. Jeff Flake says the U.S. has found no evidence that American diplomats in Havana were the victims of attacks with an unknown weapon.

Flake told The Associated Press on Saturday morning that classified briefings from U.S. officials have left him with no reason to doubt the Cuban account, although he declined to discuss the contents of those briefings.

Cuban and FBI officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Saturday.

Washington says 24 U.S. government officials and spouses fell ill in Havana in their homes and some hotels starting in 2016.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said he’s “convinced these were targeted attacks,” but the U.S. doesn’t know who’s behind them. The U.S. has withdrawn most of its diplomats from Havana, citing a health risk, and forced many Cuban diplomats to leave Washington.

Cuba has decried the reductions as an unjustified blow to U.S.-Cuban relations that were restored under President Barack Obama.

“The Cuban Interior Ministry is saying the FBI has told them there is no evidence of a sonic attack, even though that term is being used, attack, there is no evidence of it,” Flake told the AP. “There’s no evidence that somebody purposefully tried to harm somebody. Nobody is saying that these people didn’t experience some event, but there’s no evidence that that was a deliberate attack by somebody, either the Cubans or anybody else.

“As I said, I won’t talk about what I have seen in a classified setting, but nothing is inconsistent with what the Cubans have said, and I think the FBI would say that.”

Flake, one of U.S. President Donald Trump’s toughest Republican critics, announced last year that he would not seek re-election as Senator from Arizona. He has not ruled out running against Trump in 2020.

Several of the 24 U.S. diplomats and spouses reported hearing loud, mysterious sounds followed by hearing loss and ear-ringing, leading some U.S. officials to describe the incidents as “sonic attacks.” But officials are now carefully avoiding that term.

Medical testing has revealed that some embassy workers had apparent abnormalities in their white matter tracts that let different parts of the brain communicate, several U.S. officials said, and acoustic waves have never been shown to alter those tracts. </s> HAVANA — Republican Sen. Jeff Flake says the U.S. has found no evidence that American diplomats in Havana were the victims of attacks with an unknown weapon.

The Cubans told Flake the FBI has told them its agents found no evidence that mysterious illnesses suffered by U.S. diplomats resulted from attacks, despite the Trump administration's description of the incidents as attacks. Flake says classified briefings from U.S. officials have left him with no reason to doubt the Cuban account. The U.S. has pulled most of its staff from Havana in response to the incidents. </s> Mike Pompeo says sonic attack in China 'entirely consistent' with Cuba attack

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the 'sonic attack' on US diplomats in China is very similar to an attack on Canadian diplomats in Cuba in 2017 </s> At least 21 embassy staff and family members reported a range of health problems including deafness, dizziness and nausea to mild brain trauma. Earlier reports said Washington made the order after diplomats were targeted by sonic attacks, which use sonic and ultrasonic weapons to injure, incapacity or kill an opponent. Citizens were urged not to travel to Havana because some of the attacks took place at hotels were Americans stay, according to a senior State Department official. American officials said the US embassy will lose around 60 per cent of its staff, and will stop processing visas there indefinitely.

A US state department official said: “Until the government of Cuba can ensure safety of our people, we will be reduced to emergency personnel so as to minimise the number of US government personnel at risk of exposure. "At least 21 employees have been targeted in specific attacks.” He said non-essential embassy staff would be withdrawn as well as all family members.

The Cuban government has denied any role and is investigating the incident. Despite an investigation by the FBI, Cuban authorities and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, officials have been unable to determine the cause of the attacks, which date back to late 2016. But the senior State Department official stressed "the government of Cuba is responsible for taking all appropriate steps to prevent attacks on our diplomatic personnel in Cuba”. The official said: “We don’t know the means, the methods or how the attacks are being carried out.” The partial evacuation is set to deliver another blow to former US President Barack Obama's policies of engagement with Cold War foe Cuba. Although Washington has not cast direct blame on Cuban authorities, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reminded Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez that it was Cuba's obligation to protect diplomats and their families during a meeting in Washington on Tuesday. The symptoms of the 21 US embassy personnel harmed included "hearing loss, dizziness, tinnitus, balance problems, visual complaints, headache, fatigue, cognitive issues and difficulty sleeping”. Denis Bedat, a specialist in bio-electromagnetics, earlier this week said staff in Havana could have been targeted by audio-waves, which left them with chronic hearing issues. Mr Bedat said using an inaudible sound device for a sonic attack is “quite plausible from technical point of view”. He added: “Ultrasonic waves, beyond the acoustic capacity of humans, can be broadcast with an amplifier and the device does not need to be large, or used inside or outside the house.” The senior State Department official added: "Because our personnel's safety is at risk and we are unable to identify the source of the attack, we believe that U.S. citizens may also be at risk and warn them not to travel to Cuba.”
U.S. Senator Jeff Flake tells Cuban officials there is "no evidence" of a suspected sonic attack on U.S. diplomats at the U.S. embassy in Havana.