- The commercial fishermen brought the unmanned object to shore so it can be examined 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, Beijing was found to have an extensive surveillance network
Fishermen have found a suspected spy balloon off the coast of Alaska that will be turned over to the FBI.
The commercial fishermen bring the unmanned object to shore so it can be examined at the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Virginia.
They are expected to hand over the balloon to federal officials this 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 US.
That surveillance balloon also entered the US through Alaskan airspace.
The origin of the latest balloon is unclear. But CNN reported that federal law enforcement had seen sufficient evidence that it could be in foreign hands.
After last year’s spy balloon debacle, Beijing was found to have an extensive 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 US.
Last year’s incident revealed information about 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 has “intelligence collection capabilities,” but U.S. officials could not confirm whether China was collecting information in real time.
The discovery subsequently led to Beijing promising countermeasures, further straining a relationship already beset by trade practices, tariffs, Taiwan, human rights and China’s ties with Russia before President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine launched.
Republicans criticized President Joe Biden for not calling it 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 think “the leadership knew where it was, knew what was in it and knew what was going on,” calling it “more embarrassing than intentional.”
China claimed the balloon was used for weather-related problems, even as intelligence agencies concluded it was used for espionage.
Last week, the Department of Defense announced that it had intercepted a high-altitude balloon over Utah.
The Pentagon determined that the high-altitude balloon found and intercepted by the US military last Friday was “likely” a “hobby balloon.”
Navy sailors recovered parts of the spy balloon after a US jet shot it down off the coast of South Carolina last year
Fishermen have found a suspected spy balloon off the coast of Alaska that has now been sent to the FBI. Above is an image of the Chinese spy balloon that was shot down last year
In a statement on Saturday, NORAD, along with the Federal Aviation Administration, said the mysterious balloon was tracked from ground-based radars “until it left U.S. airspace overnight.”
“The balloon was intercepted by NORAD fighters over Utah, who determined that the balloon was not maneuverable and did not pose a threat to national security,” NORAD said.
The FAA also determined that the balloon did not pose a flight safety hazard. NORAD continues to work closely with the FAA to ensure flight safety.”