Second Chinese spy balloon spotted in skies over Latin America, says Pentagon

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A second Chinese spy balloon has been spotted, this time in the skies over Latin America, according to the Pentagon.

It is unclear exactly which country in the region the balloon is hovering over but it does not appear as if it is headed towards the United States, according to CNN.

“We are seeing reports of a balloon transiting Latin America. We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon,” Pentagon press secretary Brig Gen Patrick Ryder said in a statement to the news network.

The latest development came a day after US officials admitted it was tracking the spy balloon across the country and said it is expected to remain in US airspace for the next few days.

The Pentagon has said it does not currently pose a threat and that it advised the White House to not shoot it down, despite F-22 fighter jets being scrambled over Montana when it was spotted on Wednesday.

The balloon was filmed and photographed by residents of Billings, Montana, a little over 200 miles from a nuclear missile silo field at Malmstrom Air Force Base.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also postponed his trip to China this weekend because of the incident.

“The Chinese side regrets the unintended entry of the airship into US airspace due to force majeure,” the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement, using a legal term used to describe events beyond one’s control.

The balloon was at an altitude of around 60,000 ft above the US and moving east on Friday, said Brig Gen Pat Ryder.

He told reporters that the balloon “has the ability to manoeuvre” and denied Chinese government claims that it was used for civilian research.

“While we won’t get into specifics in regards to the exact location, I can tell you that the balloon continues to move eastward and is currently over the centre of the continental United States,” he said.

“We currently assess that the balloon does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground at this time, and will continue to monitor and review options.”