Reports have emerged suggesting the use of a mysterious “acoustic weapon” in Venezuela, sparking curiosity about its origins and effects on the human body. A security guard’s eyewitness account, posted on social media by a White House representative, described how members of the Venezuelan and Cuban security forces were incapacitated, “bleeding from the nose” and suffering from vomit.
The Trump administration hasn’t verified the specifics of the weapon allegedly deployed, but some defense analysts point to a familiar sonic device that has been functional for years. This long-range acoustic device, sometimes referred to as the “voice of God,” according to Mark Cancian, a retired Marine lieutenant colonel, operates by focusing sound in a directional manner.
This system creates a short-range “cone of sound,” which is something like—well, not everyone’s going to hear it, but if you’re in the cone, you will. It’s believed this device may have been activated as U.S. carriers landed in Caracas, potentially to confuse security personnel and compel them to disarm. LRADs, as they’re known, can issue commands at high volumes or unleash sharp sounds meant to get attention and prevent action. Close proximity to such sounds can indeed be disorienting or painful. However, they aren’t intended to inflict lasting harm.
While the device can cause significant discomfort and even severe hearing issues from extreme exposure, it’s designed more for crowd control, having been utilized by the U.S. military during operations in Iraq.
The sound from these devices can reach up to 140 decibels, but the intensity diminishes quickly with distance, allowing operators to stay just outside of its range comfortably. However, some defense experts express concerns about the implications of this incident, hinting at the decades-long research conducted by the Pentagon into non-lethal technologies aimed at disabling foes temporarily, without causing permanent damage.
Can Casapoglu, a defense analyst, mentioned the intriguing nature of technologies being explored by DARPA, including various acoustic systems that could potentially incapacitate enemies without fatal consequences. While the experiences reported in Venezuela align somewhat with DARPA’s research findings, there’s no verifiable evidence that their experimental technologies were employed there.
The White House and Pentagon have not responded to inquiries regarding this incident.
In addition to the alleged acoustic attacks, it’s reported that the U.S. executed a cyberattack that disrupted communication systems as carriers approached Caracas. President Trump previously remarked, “It was dark … the lights in Caracas were turned off, it was dark, and it was deadly.”
One local security guard described confusion during the event, stating that radar systems failed suddenly, leading to the sight of drones overhead. He noted, “At one point, it felt like my head was going to explode from the inside,” after the sound burst.
As for the injuries reported, it was claimed that those present started bleeding from their noses and were unable to stand. The severity of these physical experiences seems to exceed what experts know about the LRADs, raising questions about the accuracy of these claims—whether exaggeration played a role in the descriptions or if other factors contributed to the symptoms.
Nevertheless, experts reiterate that while directional acoustic systems do exist and are in use, there’s no public evidence confirming their employment to produce such extreme injuries as alleged in this incident, and no official verification has come forth regarding their utilization in Venezuela.
In the aftermath, Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello reported that 100 individuals were killed during the operation targeting President Maduro, while Cuban officials claimed 32 of their security members also lost their lives. However, seven U.S. military personnel were reported injured, with no fatalities among them.
