MURKY

FBI Believes Crucial Evidence From Chinese Spy Balloon Is Swimming With the Fishes

“We have literally not seen the payload, which is where we would expect to see the lion’s share of the electronics,” the agency said.

The FBI is combing through the remains of the suspected Chinese spy balloon, something it has never done before, but their investigation is complicated by the fact that crucial pieces are thought to have sunk into the Atlantic Ocean after it was shot down. The FBI believes the balloon, which flew over Americans’ heads for eight days, was carrying an electronics payload, but only a small portion of that has been recovered, as well as some antennae that could’ve collected signals intelligence. The agency released a slew of photos and new information Thursday detailing their examination so far. “It’s very early for us to assess what the intent was and how the device was operating,” a senior FBI official said at a press briefing on Thursday. “We have literally not seen the payload, which is where we would expect to see the lion’s share of the electronics.”