A balloon of unknown origin is being tracked by the U.S. military after it passed over Hawaii, according to a Pentagon spokesperson and other officials familiar with the developing situation.

The balloon is not believed to have flown over any sensitive facilities, and although its purpose remains unknown, the object does appear to possess a payload.

A Pentagon spokesperson speaking on background told The Debrief that the Department of Defense learned about the presence of the balloon late last week.

“Applying newly-established parameters for monitoring U.S. airspace, the Department of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) detected and observed April 28th an unmanned, balloon off the coast of Hawaii, floating at approximately 36,000 feet,” the official told The Debrief in an email.

“Ownership of the balloon is unknown, but there is no indication that it was maneuvering or being controlled by a foreign or adversarial actor,” the official added.

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