Thread by @SpencerLndqst

Have you heard about America’s ‘largest illegal immigrant settlement’ that's said to be a hub of cartel activity?

I visited Colony Ridge for @realDailyWire to learn about a development that's home to 40k-75k people and is in the midst of a rapid expansion.

Here's what I found:

Colony Ridge sprawls across nearly 60 square miles — about the size of Washington DC — and is 40 miles outside Houston.

Much of CR is a 3rd world shanty town, where foreign flags outnumber American ones.

But how do we know that it's a hotbed for illegal aliens? Let me show you.

CR goes by "Terrenos Houston" on Instagram, where marketing materials are entirely in Spanish.

Here's a post where they tell buyers to "own land in the 'Estados Unidos'" and reach out on WhatsApp, an app tailored for international comms.

And it gets worse.

For a company allegedly selling American real estate to Americans, they seem to have A LOT of foreign nationals in Latin America working for them.

Check out their LinkedIn profile. Why would Colombians sell American land to Americans?

Here's where it gets serious...

Developer William 'Trey' Harris III admits in this Center Square article that buyers can purchase land with ITINs.

Pro-illegal alien groups like the Soros-funded National Immigration Law Center boast that ITINs are a 'powerful tool' for illegal immigrants who want a mortgage.

The area is also said to be a strategic hub for the Gulf and Sinaloa cartels 400 miles north of the border, with law enforcement telling @BensmanTodd that both were early investors.

CR could eventually accommodate 200k people, with cartel elements undoubtedly blending in.

But what about Trey Harris, the developer behind Colony Ridge?

Harris is a big political donor, giving $1.4 million to Gov. Abbott's campaign while his wife gave another $100k.

Meet State Rep. Ernest Bailes, who represents the district where Colony Ridge is located.

He took $1,800 from Harris, and his case is interesting.

His biggest donor is Randy Ellis — he owns the earthwork and clearing company employed by Colony Ridge.

I cross referenced obituaries to find that Bailes and Ellis appear to be cousins. But Bailes appears to be more deeply connected to Colony Ridge.

He got $9k from the PAC for Entergy, the energy company that services Colony Ridge.

And if that wasn't interesting enough....

Bailes got another $6,500 from the PAC for Coat and Rose, the law firm that Trey Harris has paid over $100k to for lobbying services.

Bailes has yet to respond to request for comment.

But Harris has donated to other politicians as well.

Harris gave $5k to State Rep. Briscoe Cain and three maximum donations to Congressman Morgan Luttrell.

Luttrell told The Daily Wire that he "just recently" learned about CR and is concerned about “cartel presence,” “gang activity,” and “trafficking.”

As for the donations?

Comms personnel for Luttrell said he is "not beholden to anybody," but his campaign has not yet responded to my inquiry, where I asked if they would return the donations from Harris or reject donations in the future.

What risks does Colony Ridge pose, and what can be done?

"It’s got an enormous footprint. In the three years since I last saw it, it looks like it’s pretty much doubled in size,” @RepBrianBabin, who recently flew over CR, told The Daily Wire.

“There is word that the cartels are playing a role in this area.”

The @CIS_org's @BensmanTodd told The Daily Wire that "When people buy here, they’re buying peace of mind from law enforcement.”

“The Mexican cartels are very active in that they run safe houses, they run drugs, they do marijuana grows, they commit crimes."

He explained that Colony Ridge “is in the midst of maybe its greatest boom ever.”

Bensman believes this is a Homeland Security issue, and has called on Congress to investigate the growing development.

@Michael_Yon told us that Colony Ridge isn't just a development, but that instead we're witnessing the creation of a city that may eventually hold 200,000 people, an untold number of whom will be in our country illegally.

@ChrisWRusso of @StrongBordersTX called for a “full scale investigation into the development,” warning that this business model could potentially be adopted elsewhere in Texas and across America.

“When you see the expansion it suggests this is a very profitable enterprise.”

I spoke with @JMichaelWaller, who explained “This is going to be cartel land near Houston and at risk of being a no-go zone.”

He warned that similar developments could be “planted in pockets around the country.”

You can read the full investigation into Colony Ridge here:

dailywire.com/news/inside-co…

You can also listen to the Morning Wire episode all about Colony Ridge.

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mor…