FBI Director Kash Patel is taking a hardline stance against Chinese ownership of U.S. farmland, making it a top priority to root out Chinese Communist Party (CCP) influence near sensitive military and infrastructure sites.

Patel’s approach reflects a growing sense of urgency among lawmakers and the Trump administration who argue that CCP-linked land ownership poses a direct threat to America’s national security.

Concerns about Chinese land acquisitions — especially farmland near military bases — have grown in recent years.

The issue gained national attention, for instance, after a Chinese company purchased land near the Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota in 2022.

While China owns about 1% of foreign-held U.S. land (about 384,000 acres as of 2021), the strategic implications of these purchases have spurred action at both federal and state levels.

Your Rundown for Wednesday, April 16, 2025...

Team Trump’s Strategy to Protect U.S. Soil

Congress has responded with a series of bills aimed at curbing foreign, especially Chinese, ownership of U.S. farmland.

The Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security (PASS) Act, the Not One More Inch or Acre Act and the Protect Our Bases Act all seek to restrict or review land purchases by entities linked to China, particularly near military installations or other sensitive sites.

At the state level, Florida’s SB 264 law, which went into effect in 2023, prohibits individuals and entities from “foreign countries of concern” — including China — from acquiring agricultural land in Florida.

Despite ongoing legal challenges, the law is being enforced and is seen as a model for other states considering similar restrictions.

But Patel’s push goes beyond supporting legislation. He is actively involving the FBI in the effort to counter CCP land acquisitions. Under his leadership, the FBI is:

• Aggressively monitoring and investigating Chinese land purchases, especially those near military and critical infrastructure sites.

• Coordinating with other federal agencies to identify and disrupt CCP-linked transactions, and providing intelligence to state and local authorities.

• Advocating for stronger laws to give the FBI more authority to pursue criminal allegations related to foreign land ownership. Patel has called on Congress to provide the legal tools necessary for the bureau to act decisively against CCP actors.

Patel has further warned that adversaries like China are adapting their tactics, shifting focus to less-guarded areas like the northern border and exploiting legal loopholes in land ownership laws.

In testimony before Congress, Patel made it clear the FBI is ready to act if given the proper legal authority. “If we had federal statutes to enact criminal allegations and pursue those relating to these matters, we would do so,” he says.

Patel’s leadership at the FBI marks a pivotal moment in the fight against Chinese influence on American soil by targeting CCP-linked farmland acquisitions and advocating for stricter oversight.

The combination of federal bills, state laws and Patel’s FBI activism demonstrates a coordinated effort to address this growing threat.

Market Rundown for Wednesday, April 16, 2025

S&P 500 futures are down 0.75% to 5,390.

Oil is up 0.80% to $61.84 for a barrel of WTI.

Gold is up 2.55% to $3,323 per ounce.

And Bitcoin is taking a breather at $84,000.