Mike Beck, a former counterintelligence officer, died in January after years of declining health he and his family attribute to a directed energy incident about 30 years ago. His widow says the Department of Labor refused to approve compensation for wages he would have earned and recorded an incorrect injury. Experts note that certain directed energy exposures — including microwaves — can disrupt brain networks and may worsen over time. Cicala hopes her fight will help younger federal employees who report similar symptoms.
Widow Says Feds Denied Lost Wages After Ex-Spy Allegedly Struck By Directed Energy Weapon
Michael Beck
(NewsNation) — The widow of former counterintelligence officer Mike Beck says the federal government declined to award compensation for wages her husband lost after he sustained debilitating health problems he and his family attribute to a directed energy weapon decades ago.
Beck, 65, died in January after a long decline in health that he and his wife, Rita Cicala, linked to the episode. Beck and an agency partner reported being struck by a directed energy device while overseas roughly 30 years ago; both later developed Parkinson’s disease, and Beck was later diagnosed with dementia.
“He was a patriot. He worked hard. He never compromised his security,” Cicala told Katie Pavlich Tonight.
Beck was among the earliest federal employees to report what has become known as Havana Syndrome — a cluster of unexplained neurological symptoms reported by diplomats and intelligence personnel. The phenomenon was long disputed, but advances in directed energy technologies have renewed attention and concern.
What Experts Say
Directed energy systems — including technologies that use focused microwaves, sonic waves or lasers — are an area of active research and, in some military contexts, testing. The Pentagon has publicly tested certain directed energy systems for defense uses such as countering missiles and drones.
“The microwaves really will disrupt the network effects of the brain,” said neuroscientist James Giordano, referring to one type of directed energy. “There'll be an initial set of effects that tend to worsen as various aspects of the brain and nervous system become far more disrupted, deteriorated, over time.”
Fight For Recognition
Cicala says the family spent years pressing federal agencies to acknowledge what happened to Beck. She told NewsNation that the Department of Labor recently declined to approve compensation for the wages Beck would have earned had his career not been cut short. Cicala also says the agency recorded the wrong injury, listing a knee injury rather than the neurological conditions the family reports.
She hopes her ongoing fight will help younger federal employees who believe they have been affected by similar incidents: “They’re young. They’re in their 30s, and they don’t deserve to be suffering,” Cicala said.
Broader Incidents
Since 2020, clusters of suspected directed energy incidents affecting U.S. government personnel have been reported, including at least three incidents in Northern Virginia and at least one at a government facility. Investigations into the causes and potential perpetrators remain ongoing, and official conclusions have varied across agencies.
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