- Commercial fishermen brought the unmanned object to shore so it can be investigated at the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Virginia.
- The discovery comes just over a year after a high-altitude Chinese spy balloon was shot down off the coast of South Carolina.
- After last year’s spy balloon debacle, it was determined that Beijing operated an extensive surveillance network.
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Fishermen have found a suspected spy balloon off the coast of Alaska that will be handed over to the FBI.
Commercial fishermen are bringing the unmanned object to shore so it can be investigated at the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Virginia.
They are expected to hand the balloon over to federal officials over the weekend.
The discovery comes just over a year after a high-altitude Chinese spy balloon was shot down off the coast of South Carolina after passing through the United States.
That surveillance balloon also entered the United States through Alaskan airspace.
The origin of the last balloon is unclear. But cnn reported that federal authorities saw sufficient evidence that it could be foreign owned.
After last year’s spy balloon debacle, it was determined that Beijing operated a wide-ranging surveillance network.
The discovery comes just over a year after a high-altitude Chinese spy balloon was shot down off the coast of South Carolina after passing through the United States.
Last year’s incident provided information on a series of sightings.
That balloon entered U.S. airspace over Alaska in January and eventually flew over a U.S. military base in Montana before being shot down by an F-22 Raptor off the coast of South Carolina.
In June, the Pentagon said it had “intelligence collection capabilities,” but US officials could not confirm whether China collected information in real time.
The discovery then provoked Beijing, which promised countermeasures, adding another strain to a relationship already battered by trade practices, tariffs, Taiwan, human rights and China’s ties with Russia before President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine.
Republicans criticized President Joe Biden for not taking him down sooner. The incident led to a period in which the military shot down other unidentified objects.
The earlier incident forced Secretary of State Antony Blinken to cancel a planned trip to China, criticizing it as an “irresponsible act.”
In June, the president said he didn’t believe “the leaders knew where it was and they knew what was there and they knew what was going on,” calling it “more embarrassing than intentional.”
China claimed the balloon was being used for climate-related issues, although intelligence agencies concluded it was being used for spying.
Last week, the Department of Defense revealed that it intercepted a high-altitude balloon over Utah.
The Pentagon determined that the high-altitude balloon found last Friday and intercepted by the US military was “probably” a “hobby balloon.”
Navy sailors recovered parts of the spy balloon after a U.S. plane shot it down off the coast of South Carolina last year.
Fishermen have found a suspected spy balloon off the coast of Alaska which has now been sent to the FBI. Above is an image of the Chinese spy balloon shot down last year.
In a statement Saturday, NORAD, along with the Federal Aviation Administration, said the mysterious balloon was monitored from ground-based radars “until it left U.S. airspace overnight.”
“The balloon was intercepted by NORAD fighters over Utah, who determined that it was not maneuverable and did not present a threat to national security,” NORAD said.
‘The FAA also determined that the balloon posed no danger to the safety of flight. NORAD remains in close coordination with the FAA to ensure flight safety.