The U.S. State Department ordered 15 Cuban diplomats to leave the United States due to Havana’s inability to protect U.S. embassy staff from so-called sonic attacks in Cuba, a department official told reporters on Tuesday.
The diplomats were given seven days to depart the U.S., the official said, noting that the move does not indicate a change in policy toward Cuba.
“They are not declared personae non gratae,” the official underscored.
The State Department provided Cuban authorities with a list of personnel from the embassy who have to depart Washington, D.C.
According to the latest update from the State Department, 22 people from the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana have experienced various health conditions due prompted by attacks of an unknown nature. The incident is still under investigation, and it is unknown who is responsible for the attacks.