The suspected spy balloon that the U.S. military shot down Saturday was part of a worldwide espionage effort that the Chinese carried out over several years, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Pat Ryder said Wednesday that the high-altitude balloons had been spotted over Latin America, South America, Southeast Asia, East Asia and Europe in recent years. New information about the program has come to light in recent days following U.S.