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The FBI has announced its involvement in recovering debris off the coast of Alaska following a CNN report of a potential spy balloon discovery. The agency, in collaboration with the US Coast Guard and Alaska National Guard, is coordinating efforts to retrieve and analyze the object.
In a statement, a spokeswoman for the FBI said, “The FBI is aware of debris found off the coast of Alaska by a commercial fishing vessel. We will work with our partners to assist with the logistics of the debris recovery.” Alan Brown, a spokesman for the Alaska National Guard, confirmed that they were assisting the FBI in “helping facilitate the transfer” of the object so it could be further analyzed.
This announcement comes after a commercial fishing vessel reported finding the debris, sparking interest and speculation about its origins and purpose. Details surrounding the discovery remain scant, with officials from both the FBI and Alaska National Guard withholding specific information, including the exact location of the find.
This incident came roughly a year after a Chinese surveillance balloon was encountered over Alaskan airspace, which led to increased scrutiny and subsequent military actions against unidentified aerial objects. Alaska’s US Senators, Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, have previously expressed concerns over the handling of such incidents.