An unknown investment company called Flannery Associates has purchased large parcels of land around a major U.S. Air Force base, according to CBN News. The land purchased is worth around $800 million and is right around Travis Air Force Base in Solano County of Northern California. The purchase is stirring suspicion as Chinese government-backed businesses have been buying land around U.S. military sites.
Flannery Associates is registered as an agricultural company and has bought over 50,000 acres, running directly to the Travis Air Force Base, in Solano County since 2018.
The unknown company was first discovered in July after it sued landowners accusing them of “conspiring to boost the value of the company.” The lawsuit caught the attention of Congressional lawmakers who began investigating the company.
U.S. Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) is one of lawmakers who is highly suspicious of the mysterious company’s activity around the U.S. Air Force base. Despite the company claiming that 97% of their investors are based in the U.S., Garamendi cautioned that there is no way to verify that information. Garamendi said “Literally three sides of that base are totally controlled by the Flannery group,” adding that it gives “reason to be concerned.”
Ronald Kott, the mayor of nearby Rio Vista, also sounded the alarm saying of the company that “Nobody can figure out who they are,” but added that “whatever they’re doing – this looks like a very long-term play.”
According to CBN News, the suspicion of the land purchased is only being raised because of its proximity to a U.S. military site and the purchase of nearly 384,000 acres of U.S. land by China. With extreme national security concerns, Americans are growing weary of extensive land purchases around exclusive U.S. military sites, and many are beginning to pay attention to land grabs with more caution.