U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla Tuesday regarding a series of "health attacks" on at least 21 U.S. diplomats in Cuba, according to The Hill.
A U.S. Department of State spokesperson told The Hill Sept. 26, "[Mr. Tillerson] conveyed the gravity of the situation and underscored the Cuban authorities' obligations to protect embassy staff and their families under the Vienna Convention."
However, several sources familiar with the situation spoke to McClatchy, emphasizing White House officials don't believe the Cuban government is responsible for the attacks.
"No one believes that the Cubans are responsible. All of the evidence points that they're not," a U.S. source familiar with the situation told McClatchy.
The Trump administration will reportedly withdraw a number of staff members from the U.S. embassy in Havana citing safety concerns. The administration initially sought to close the embassy office, but is instead looking for a way to keep the facility open with a small staff, according to McClatchy.
The staff withdrawal "is not intended to punish the Cuban government, but to protect diplomats and their families from the strange attacks," sources told McClatchy.
Several American and Canadian diplomats were subjected to "health attacks," beginning in 2016, that caused them to develop various medical conditions, such as mild traumatic brain injury and potential damage to their central nervous systems.
U.S. officials reportedly launched an investigation into whether the diplomats were the targets of "a type of sonic attack directed at their homes" and if those attacks were perpetrated by the Cuban government.
The source of the attacks has not been determined.