According to three US officials, the US military is tracking a mysterious balloon that soared over American soil, but it’s unclear what it is or who it belongs to.
The item traveled over parts of Hawaii but not over any critical sites, according to officials.
According to one person, the US military has been following it since late last week and has assessed that it poses no threat to air traffic or national security and is not transmitting signals.
It’s unclear whether it’s a weather balloon or something else, according to the official, who added that the US might still fire it down if it gets too close to shore.
The object, which does not appear to have maneuverability, is moving slowly toward Mexico, the officials said.
U.S. officials do not believe the balloon belongs to the Chinese, but they are still working to identify the owner.
A spokesperson for the National Security Council referred questions about the object to the Defense Department, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A Chinese spy balloon flew across parts of the U.S. in early February, before being shot down off the Carolina coast.
The device was able to gather intelligence from several sensitive American military sites, despite the Biden administration’s efforts to block it from doing so, officials have said.