Newsletters
U.S. President Donald Trump publicly discussed a secret weapon he calls the "discombobulator" during a visit to Fort Bragg military base, claiming the device disabled Russian and Chinese defense systems during the Jan. 3 raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
"They even talk about the discombobulator, because they never got a shot off," Trump told soldiers at the North Carolina base.
"The Russian equipment didn't work. The Chinese equipment didn't work. Everyone's trying to figure out why it didn't work. Someday you're going to find out, but it didn't work," he added.
The remarks marked Trump's first public discussion of the mysterious weapon after previously revealing limited details in media interviews.
Trump met with the special forces troops who conducted the operation that captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from a secured compound in Caracas.
"That night, the entire world saw what the full military might (of) the U.S. military is capable of," Trump said, adding, "It was so precise, so incredible."
The president said America is "respected again," and "perhaps most importantly, we are feared by the enemies all over the globe."
"I don't like to say fear," Trump added, noting, "But, sometimes, you have to have fear because that's the only thing that really will get the situation taken care of."
Venezuelan officials said 83 people were killed and more than 112 were injured in the assault, which began with U.S. bombing raids on military targets. No U.S. service members were killed, though Trump said three helicopter pilots were injured.
In earlier interviews, Trump described the discombobulator as a "secret sound weapon" and claimed the U.S. possesses "weapons that nobody knows about."
Speaking to the New York Post, Trump said the weapon "made it so the other side's equipment didn't work" and noted discussing it was "forbidden."
"They had Russian- and Chinese-made rockets, but none of them could be launched. We came in, they pressed the buttons, but nothing worked," Trump said.
However, experts believe the system is not a revolutionary new weapon but rather a combination of existing technologies.
Analysts say the term likely refers to a mix of cyber, electronic and acoustic military systems rather than a single weapon.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shared a social media post quoting a security official in Venezuela who claimed "all radar systems in Venezuela suddenly shut down" and described experiencing "something like a very intense sound wave" that made him feel "like his head was going to explode."
According to U.S. military officials who spoke to CNN, the Venezuela operation began with coordinated attacks designed to disable radar, communications networks and air defense systems nationwide, clearing airspace for special operations forces to enter the country.
U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Air Force General Dan Caine said more than 150 aircraft participated in the operation, including bombers, fighter jets and intelligence and surveillance platforms.
A U.S. official said American forces disabled Venezuela's warning systems and air defenses through cyber operations while using sound-based acoustic tools during the ground phase to disorient personnel.
Experts note the U.S. military already widely uses systems capable of disabling equipment, including Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) systems, electronic warfare systems, and cyber weapons like the Stuxnet virus.
LRAD and similar systems emit loud, directed sound for remote warnings and crowd control, but can cause severe pain, dizziness and hearing damage at high levels.
Some experts theorize the discombobulator may be a high-powered microwave system capable of paralyzing targets both systematically and biologically without creating a physical explosion.
The weapon discussion comes as the Washington Post (WP) reported U.S. officials investigated a secret 2024 experiment in Norway where a government scientist built a device capable of emitting powerful microwave energy pulses.
The Norwegian researcher, who was skeptical that pulsed-energy weapons could damage human brains, tested the device on himself and developed neurological symptoms similar to "Havana syndrome," the unexplained condition that has affected hundreds of U.S. spies and diplomats worldwide.
"Norway informed the CIA about the incident, prompting at least two visits by Pentagon and White House officials," according to the report.
People familiar with the test said the results did not prove that U.S. personnel were targeted by foreign adversaries but did show that pulsed-energy devices can affect human biology.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
