Suspicious land acquisition near major USAF base caused officials to worry for potential foreign interests.
An investment group, Flannery Associates, did a land acquisition of approximately 52,000 acres of land near Travis Air Force Base northeast of San Francisco. The agricultural value of much of this land is questionable, raising concerns among government officials about the group’s motivations for this expensive land acquisition.
Officials are worried if the said land acquisition poses potential security risks.
Flannery Associates has spent around $1 billion in land acquisition to become the largest landowner in Solano County, acquiring 300 parcels of land, with 20 of them surrounding Travis Air Force Base. The company has admitted to paying prices well above fair market value for the land acquisition in court filings.
Solano County Supervisor Mitch Mashburn expressed his suspicion by stating that he does not see how the Flannery Associates could make a profit from the billion dollar worth of land acquisition since the land in question is a dry farmland.
Flannery’s attorney claims that it is controlled by American citizens and that most of its capital comes from US investors. However, some speculate that the land acquisitions are motivated by the base’s proximity.
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The USAF and other agencies are investigating the multiple land acquisition, but have not been able to determine the group’s source of funding.
Rep. John Garamendi raises concerns about the extensive land acquisition and questions why they are buying land near at Travis. This is not the only recent land acquisition that has caused worry in the area.
A Beijing-linked group’s attempt to buy land near a US Air Force base prompted bipartisan backlash and concerns about espionage. The land acquisition could compromise the security of unmanned air systems and satellite transmissions.
Senator Marco Rubio has warned that allowing Chinese companies to buy strategically important land is a national security threat. China has also been involved in illegal activities in the US, such as police operations, espionage campaigns, and the trafficking of fentanyl through Mexican cartels.
Furthermore, the Chinese regime has been attacking American infrastructure using malicious computer code. US officials are calling for investigations and answers regarding these activities.
