The federal government is reportedly investigating whether Alaskan fishermen found pieces of another spy balloon, just a week after concern about a craft flying over Utah. The debris brought up memories of a Chinese spy balloon that flew over the United States last year prior to being shot down over the coast of South Carolina.
Commercial fishermen reportedly found parts from what may be a balloon off the coast of Alaska. The vessel is expected to bring the craft onshore in the next several days.
The FBI will investigate the craft and bring it to its lab in Virginia.
While there is no confirmation that the object found is a spy balloon, the FBI said that it is similar to other foreign spy balloons.
“We will work with our partners to assist with the logistics of the debris recovery,” an FBI official said.
There is no word from the Pentagon whether or not an object crashed near Alaska in the recent past.
The recent potential discovery is not the first time that Alaska has been in the spotlight regarding balloons. Last year, in the aftermath of the shootdown of the Chinese craft, another balloon was downed above Alaska.
It was later determined that the balloon shot down by the Pentagon was instead a hobbyist balloon.
The craft seen flying over Utah last week was also determined to be a hobbyist balloon of unknown origin. However, the Pentagon stated that this craft was not a threat and that had already left American airspace.
The object was intercepted at around 45,000 feet over Utah by fighter jets before it was determined that the balloon was not a hazard.
Despite the shootdown of the spy balloon last year, China denied any responsibility for the craft, stating that it was simply a weather balloon that was blown off course.
However, earlier this year, Taiwanese officials reported sightings of multiple balloons from China flying over their territory before the important presidential elections there.
Taiwan reported that six balloons entered in or near their airspace, including over an important naval base.
