WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say the military has finished efforts to recover the remnants of the large balloon that was shot down off the coast of South Carolina, and analysis of the debris so far reinforces conclusions that it was a Chinese spy balloon.
Officials say the U.S. believes that Navy, Coast Guard and FBI personnel collected all of the balloon debris off the ocean floor.
U.S. Northern Command says the recovery operations ended Thursday and that final pieces are on their way to the FBI lab in Virginia for analysis.
The announcement capped three dramatic weeks that saw U.S. fighter jets shoot down four airborne objects — the large China balloon and three much smaller objects.
