FBI Director Kash Patel is spearheading a major national security effort to root out Chinese Communist Party (CCP) influence on U.S. soil, with a particular focus on Chinese owned farmland near sensitive sites. The move comes as part of the Trump administration’s broader second-term push to curb CCP infiltration across critical sectors of American society.
Patel, who assumed the role of FBI Director earlier this year, has prioritized the issue as a matter of both food security and national defense. Chinese ownership of landvespecially farmland located near military installations, infrastructure hubs, and research centersvhas become a growing concern among intelligence agencies and lawmakers alike.
“FBI Director Kash Patel has made eradicating CCP interference and infiltration in the United States a relentless, uncompromising priority,” said Erica Knight, a senior advisor to Patel. “With his unmatched experience in counterterrorism and intelligence, Patel possesses a profound understanding of the grave threats our nation faces.”
According to Knight, Patel’s leadership is defined by a “firm resolve” to ensure the FBI plays a leading role in protecting the country from foreign interference. His campaign has been welcomed by Republican lawmakers, many of whom have introduced legislation at both the state and federal levels aimed at restricting foreign ownership of U.S. farmland.
President Trump has long pointed to the issue, recently stating that Chinese owned farmland “has been an issue for years,” and reaffirming his administration’s intent to shut down foreign influence operations that pose a risk to national interests.
As part of this crackdown, the FBI is reportedly working with the Departments of Defense and Agriculture to identify high-risk land holdings and investigate any ties to CCP-affiliated individuals or shell companies.
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