A mysterious object that plummeted from the sky on Tuesday in Quinlan, Texas, has been identified as part of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection surveillance system, according to an official confirmation posted earlier this week.
The object, which appeared to be a sizeable tarp-like structure with a metal frame, was first reported by concerned locals who witnessed it fall from the sky in the small town.
The CBP reported that an Air and Marine Operations (AMO) Tethered Aerostat Radar System (TARS) had broken free from its tether during a severe wind event Monday afternoon in South Padre Island, Texas. Officials said communications with the system were lost shortly after it broke free.
TARS is a high-altitude surveillance balloon designed to help border security and to detect any potential airborne threats near the border.
In a notice posted on X on March 4, CBP asked the public to report any sightings of the missing object, which it described as looking similar to a white blimp.
Later that same day, CBP confirmed that the object spotted by observers in Quinlan, some 250 miles north of South Padre Island, was the missing TARS.
“On March 4, the Aerostat System was located by the Quinlan TX Fire and Rescue in Hunt County, TX, approximately 30 miles east of Dallas. AMO is working alongside federal, state, and local officials to investigate,” the CBP posted to X.
Quinlan Fire and Rescue officials on the ground confirmed the large object appeared to be a balloon, but they did not provide any additional details. Witnesses described the fallen object as being “as big as a truck” with a metallic structure resembling a tarp, reported Fox 4 KDFW.
In the aftermath of the crash, Rayburn Electric Cooperative collected the debris from the site and is now storing it in company warehouses located in Rockwall, Texas, as the investigation continues.