China, meanwhile, accused the U.S. of indiscriminate use of force when the American military shot down the balloon. Military officials determined that bringing down the balloon over land from an altitude of 60,000 feet would pose an undue risk to people on the ground. Defense officials who briefed reporters have said the U.S. was able to collect intelligence on the balloon as it flew over the country. On Sunday, Colombia’s Air Force said in a statement that an object matching the characteristics of the Chinese balloon entered the country’s airspace, at a height of around 55,000 feet, on Friday morning. In neighboring Venezuela, people on social media reported seeing a balloon, but the government did not confirm its presence.
