Pentagon says it's spotted second Chinese balloon over Latin America

The Pentagon confirmed on Friday that it had spotted a second Chinese spy balloon over Latin America.

Defense officials became aware of another aerial object "transiting Latin America. We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon," said Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, according to NBC News.

The announcement comes as a separate balloon continues to travel over the United States, reaching as far as Kansas and Nebraska as of Friday. Authorities have declined to shoot down the balloon, asserting that doing so may result in damage as the debris hits the ground.

The Pentagon has not provided regular updates on the balloon's exact location, but has asserted that "the public certainly has the ability to look up in the sky and see where the balloon is."