Alaskan fishermen to hand over suspected spy balloon to FBI, recovered debris to be investigated
File pic of FBI agents
Fishermen off the coast of US' Alaska stumbled upon what authorities fear might be a spy balloon, even though the details are yet to be investigated, media reports said citing sources.
The fishermen reportedly encountered the mysterious object and opted to bring it ashore. Now, once the fishing vessel arrives at the port sometime during the weekend, FBI agents will launch a probe to see what it really is and if indeed it is a spy balloon.
The object, whose nature remains uncertain, will be transported to the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia. There, the balloon will be analysed. Reports indicated that upon encountering the object, the fishermen promptly shared photographs with law enforcement.
While the exact identity of the object remains elusive, the FBI deemed it similar enough to foreign-government surveillance balloons and thus said that it required a full investigation.
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In response to the discovery, the FBI issued a statement acknowledging the recovery of debris off the Alaskan coast by a commercial fishing vessel.“We will work with our partners to assist with the logistics of the debris recovery,” the agency reportedly said in a statement.
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Chinese spy balloon
A high-altitude balloon believed to have originated from China traversed North American airspace between January 28 and February 4, 2023, spanning Alaska, and Canada.
The US Air Force On February 4 intercepted and downed the balloon over US territorial waters near the coast of South Carolina. Debris from the downed balloon was recovered and dispatched to the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, for a thorough examination.
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A preliminary analysis conducted in June revealed that the balloon was equipped with intelligence-gathering apparatus. However, there is no evidence indicating that it transmitted any data back to China.
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The FBI's forensic analysis of the craft's surveillance capabilities remains shrouded in secrecy and has prompted calls for "appropriate transparency" from the Biden administration, as per reports citing sources.
It has been labeled a "major intelligence failure" by Representative Darrell Issa. In a letter addressed to FBI Director Christopher Wray on Friday (Feb 23), Issa attributed this failure to President Biden's weakness.
(With inputs from agencies)