The United States Navy has released images of the recovery of the remains of a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon.
On Sunday, sailors from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 retrieved parts of the balloon that was shot down off the coast of South Carolina by an F-22 fighter on Saturday.
The cleanup operation is still underway, with sailors from several ships searching for debris from the estimated 200-foot aerial object that had been floating over the country.
According to General Glen VanHerck, head of U.S. Northern Command, the balloon also carried a device roughly the size of a regional jet.
Civilians have been advised by authorities not to touch any possible fragments of the balloon that may reach the coastline, as they “are part of a federal investigation and tampering could interfere in that investigation,” as stated by the Myrtle Beach city government.
Lawmakers are planning to investigate the Biden administration for its alleged failure to safeguard national security, as a Chinese surveillance balloon floated over the US for several days before being shot down on Saturday.
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL), the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), said he was “deeply concerned by the Biden administration’s decision to allow the spy balloon to traverse the United States.”
“The White House must provide answers about why they decided to allow a [Chinese Communist Party] spy balloon to cross the United States and what damage to our national security occurred from this decision,” Rep. Rogers went on to say.
“The United States must project strength to deter China—this failure is another example of weakness by the Biden administration.”
