$800M Farmland Purchase Near California Air Base Raises Security Concerns
Mysterious Company Purchases Thousands of Acres of Farmland Near Travis Air Force Base
A C-5M Super Galaxy undergoes final preparations before takeoff Aug. 21, 2021, at Travis Air Force Base, California.
A mysterious company has recently acquired over 52,000 acres of farmland, with a significant portion surrounding Travis Air Force Base in Solano County, California.
The buyer, Flannery Associates, is registered in Delaware and controlled by U.S. citizens. According to a company attorney interviewed by the Wall Street Journal, 97 percent of its capital comes from U.S. investors, while the remaining portion is sourced from British and Irish investors. Despite this information, public officials have expressed concerns about the purchases, which amount to over $800 million, made by an unidentified buyer.
“What is this all about?” questioned Rep. John Garamendi (D., Calif.), as reported by Politico. “Why is an unknown, non-communicative secret organization buying up all the land around Travis Air Force Base?” Garamendi represents the district where the base is located.
Similar land acquisitions near U.S. military bases have raised concerns in the past. For instance, Chinese-owned Fufeng Group faced scrutiny when it attempted to build a corn mill on 300 acres of land it purchased near Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota. In another case, a former member of the Chinese Army acquired 130,000 acres near Laughlin Air Force Base in South Texas. The FBI discovered Chinese tech company Huawei’s technology, which is blacklisted by the United States, mounted on cell towers near nuclear missile silos.
In response to these concerns, the Senate voted 91-7 to include an amendment in its annual defense spending bill, prohibiting China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran from purchasing U.S. farmland. Additionally, states like Florida and Montana have already implemented restrictions on Chinese nationals buying land, while others such as Texas and Alabama are considering similar legislation.
“There’s no shortage of rumors of what may or may not be happening,” stated Rep. Mike Thompson (D., Calif.), whose district includes part of Solano County. “We just don’t know.”
The intentions of Flannery Associates regarding the California land remain unclear. The company’s attorney dismissed any speculation about the purchases being motivated by the proximity to Travis Air Force Base as unfounded.
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