Fishermen find 'spy balloon' off coast of Alaska - just like one shot down last year

Fishermen at sea near Alaska were puzzled when they fished out what they believe could be a high-altitude ‘spy balloon’ from the water. They took this unmanned object to shore where it will go to the FBI for further investigation.

The crew is expected to reach land this weekend and give the mysterious object to federal officials. Afterwards, it will be sent to the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia.

This unexpected discovery follows an event last year when an alleged Chinese spy balloon was brought down off the coast of South Carolina. The balloon had made a trip all across the US, starting in Alaskan airspace.

Where this new balloon comes from isn’t known yet. There are suggestions that it might belong to a foreign country. Last year’s spy balloon incident led surveillance officials to believe that Beijing had an extensive surveillance network, reports The Mirror Online.

The balloon that was taken down had first appeared in American airspace via Alaska in January 2023. It flew over a military base in Montana before it was shot down by an F-22 Raptor over South Carolina.

An investigation by the Pentagon found that the balloon had “intelligence collection capabilities,” according to a briefing in June. However, US officials had no answer on whether it had been able to send information back to China instantly.

A heated political argument broke out after a balloon, thought to be a Chinese spy device, was seen flying over the US. Antony Blinken, the Secretary of State, cancelled his trip to China and criticised the country for its “irresponsible act”.

In return, Beijing said it would respond with its own actions, making the already tense relationship between the two countries even more strained. The Republicans criticised Joe Biden for not ordering the balloon to be shot down sooner.

Since then, several more UFOs have been shot down by US warplanes. Last week, the Defense Department said it had sent fighters to intercept a high-altitude balloon over Utah.

The Pentagon said it was probably a “hobby balloon” and not a spying mission. NORAD and the Federal Aviation Administration said they had tracked the mystery balloon on radar “until it left U.S. airspace overnight”.

“The balloon was intercepted by NORAD fighters over Utah, who determined it was not manoeuvrable and did not present a threat to national security,” NORAD said. “The FAA also determined the balloon posed no hazard to flight safety. NORAD remains in close coordination with the FAA to ensure flight safety.”

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