US Finishes Collecting Remains of Chinese Spy Balloon, FBI to Examine

Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Feb. 5, 2023. U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Tyler Thompson

The United States has concluded its efforts to collect the remains of a Chinese spy balloon that it shot down off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4.

U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM), which oversees the defense for much of North America, said in a Feb. 17 statement that the final pieces of the debris had been collected and would be given to the FBI for analysis.