The Air Force base that serves as the military’s gateway to the Pacific could be the target of a massive Chinese spy operation on the U.S. military, according to a California congressman. The concern is over Flannery Associates buying land that surrounds three sides of Travis Air Force Base.
Flannery has bought 52,000 acres of land surrounding the base for $800 million. Some reports say Flannery overpaid farmers by as much as triple the land value to take ownership of the properties. Now, after an eight-month investigation, the government says it doesn’t know who controls Flannery Associates or who is financially backing them.
An attorney for Flannery said the group backed by U.S. investors and controlled by U.S. citizens, but federal officials can’t confirm nor deny that claim.
Now, Flannery is suing the farmers it bought the land from, claiming the farmers inflated the purchase price. The abnormally high price points had lawmakers suspicious that the firm could have ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
According to Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., China has a history of overlooking land values and overpaying for U.S. soil. He has been investigating Flannery for years.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 384,000 acres in the U.S. are Chinese owned. Over the past 5 years, U.S. farmland bought by China has increased 55%.
Garamendi says Flannery’s land purchases could be a serious security threat since a ghost company with a lot of money is now surrounding an American military base.
