Colony Ridge’s defense lawyer and a land developer lobbying group teamed up to draft legislation that would exempt Texas developments like Colony Ridge from certain consumer protection regulations, communications obtained exclusively by The Daily Wire reveal.
A <a href="https://legiscan.com/TX/text/HB4166/id/3160963">House bill</a> and its companion<a href="https://legiscan.com/TX/text/SB2508/id/3173475"> bill in the Senate</a> would carve out an exemption in mortgage origination laws for Texas residential real estate developers, threatening to embolden developments like <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-colony-ridge-the-fastest-growing-development-in-the-u-s-is-a-magnet-for-illegal-immigrants">Colony Ridge</a> that cater to illegal aliens and foreign nationals. The legislation has already passed through the House Committee on Pensions, Investments, and Financial Services but is still under consideration in the Senate&#8217;s Business and Commerce Committee.
<a href="https://www.colonyridge.com/complaintrecovery-fund-notice/">Colony Ridge</a> and the Texas Land Developers Association (TLDA) members that employ similar strategies are currently required to inform consumers that they can contact the Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending in the event that they have complaints.
But under the new legislation, the developments would not be under the purview of the Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending, and the legal risk would be offloaded to loan originators instead. That means there would be even less oversight of developers who have built businesses by catering to illegal aliens and <a href="https://x.com/SpencerLndqst/status/1890063065489735954">selling land to foreign buyers</a> who haven&#8217;t been qualified as borrowers — often charging sky-high interest rates and reselling land after borrowers default.
The bill would strip the Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending’s authority to regulate residential real estate developers who provide mortgage loans to purchasers of property, and would limit oversight to separately licensed residential mortgage loan originators and companies.
This legislation, according to documents obtained by The Daily Wire, came about through a partnership between Colony Ridge’s defense lawyer and the Texas Land Developers Association, a lobbying organization whose former president defended the infamous development’s strategy of selling American land to illegal aliens en masse.
A leaked email viewed by The Daily Wire indicates that Jason Ray, a lobbyist who is defending Colony Ridge in the Department of Justice <a href="https://dockets.justia.com/docket/texas/txsdce/4:2023cv04729/1945245">lawsuit</a> against the development, worked with the TLDA to prepare the legislation. In a November 21, 2024, email obtained by The Daily Wire, <a href="https://texaslanddevelopers.org/about-us/">TLDA president Kevin Campbell</a> identifies Colony Ridge lawyer Jason Ray as “the attorney that prepared the bill language.”
<div id="attachment_911543" style="width: 801px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-911543" class=" wp-image-911543" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/TLDA-Jason-Ray-300x179.png" alt="" width="791" height="472" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/TLDA-Jason-Ray-300x179.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/TLDA-Jason-Ray-964x576.png 964w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/TLDA-Jason-Ray-768x459.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/TLDA-Jason-Ray.png 1292w" sizes="(max-width: 791px) 100vw, 791px" />Obtained by The Daily Wire</div>
The TLDA and Ray are attempting to create a special carve-out for developments like Colony Ridge with the help of a former Democrat in the statehouse who is financially intertwined with special interests who stand to gain.
Ray discusses the bill at length in a December 6, 2024, email to Kevin Campbell, TLDA compliance officer Heather Oakes, and Kacee Jackson, a TLDA board member. The Colony Ridge defense lawyer told The Daily Wire that he did not draft the bill, but did not respond after being asked if he had any role in the bill&#8217;s preparation.
This marks the latest attempt from developers to impose their will on Texas politics. A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/colony-ridge-gave-greg-abbott-1-5-million-heres-what-greg-abbott-gave-colony-ridge?author=Spencer+Lindquist&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Colony+Ridge+Gave+Greg+Abbott+%241.5+Million.+Here’s+What+Greg+Abbott+Gave+Colony+Ridge.">Daily Wire investigation</a> revealed that Governor Greg Abbott nominated Colony Ridge to become a federal Opportunity Zone, granting investors special tax breaks meant to spur development, after he received a $100,000 campaign donation from the developer&#8217;s wife in 2018.
Abbott hosted Colony Ridge developer Trey Harris and State Senator Brandon Creighton at the Governor&#8217;s Mansion for a lunch meeting as he nominated the development for the lucrative status. Then, just about a year after Colony Ridge was named an Opportunity Zone, the company Creighton works for announced that it would be building homes inside the controversial development. Creighton now sits on the Senate committee considering the new legislation.
State Representative Janis Holt, who defeated former Representative Ernest Bailes after The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-colony-ridge-the-fastest-growing-development-in-the-u-s-is-a-magnet-for-illegal-immigrants">exposed</a> the latter&#8217;s ties to Colony Ridge, warned that the legislation could enable fraud and money laundering, all while encouraging more developments like Colony Ridge to crop up around Texas.
“The Colony Ridge &#8211; Harris Brothers real estate model started on a small scale, which allowed them to operate under the radar and gradually expand their influence,” Holt <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/853245812/Rep-Janis-Holt-Opposes-HB-4166?secret_password=dC0OEsQxCTM5ZDq6wSQf">wrote in a letter</a> to the Chairman of the House Committee on Pensions, Investments, and Financial Services.
“The Colony Ridge development in my district has already placed enormous strain on local resources, including schools, roads, and county services. The business model employed by Trey Harris, which is currently under scrutiny by the Department of Justice for predatory lending practices, further exacerbates these issues,” she explained. “Allowing exemptions could worsen the situation by enabling similar practices elsewhere.”
“The aforementioned reasons and the crippling effects of Colony Ridge remove any possibility that I would support this legislative approach,&#8221; she added.
The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-developer-admits-colony-ridge-relies-on-subprime-lending-to-non-citizen-buyers">previously reported</a> that Scot Campbell, the former head of the TLDA, admitted that the Colony Ridge business model relies on giving loans to foreign nationals and illegal aliens to buy American land, all without checking if the individuals are creditworthy.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
EXCLUSIVE: A Texas land developer admitted that the Colony Ridge business model relies on selling land to unqualified foreign buyers:
&#8220;We will not be able to sell our developments if each of our buyers have to have SS#’s.&#8221;
I obtained his stunning admissions🧵 <a href="https://t.co/f2nWFuWA5r">pic.twitter.com/f2nWFuWA5r</a>
— Spencer Lindquist 🇺🇸 (@SpencerLndqst) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerLndqst/status/1890063065489735954?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
“We will not be able to sell our developments if each of our buyers have to have SS#’s and we have to qualify each buyer as to the buyer’s ability to repay,” Scot Campbell, the former head of the Texas Land Developers Association, admitted in the email. “It will kill our industry and will make our future resale of foreclosed lots worth a lot less … because we will all be fighting over a few qualified buyers,” he added.
The legislation is now being carried in the Texas House by a representative who’s accepted $20,000 from individuals and entities that stand to gain from the proposal.
The bill was introduced by Rep. Ryan Guillen, a Democrat-turned-Republican who <a href="https://www.transparencyusa.org/tx/candidate/ryan-a-guillen-coh/contributors?cycle=2015-to-now&amp;page=2">received $14,000</a> from the now-defunct Texas Land Developers Association PAC. Guillen represents House District 31, which stretches from the southern border to Floresville, just southeast of San Antonio.
Guillen took <a href="https://www.transparencyusa.org/tx/contributor/kyndel-bennett/?cycle=2015-to-now">$1,000</a> from Kyndel Bennett, the CEO of Cayetano, a land development company that allows foreign nationals to buy Texas land along the southern border using documents from the Mexican government as identification instead of a Social Security number. Bennett is also a TLDA board member.
He received an additional <a href="https://www.transparencyusa.org/tx/contributor/5609957?cycle=2015-to-now">$5,000 from Scot Campbell</a>, the former TLDA chairman behind the email defending Colony Ridge’s practice of selling out American land to illegal aliens.
The House bill has <a href="https://www.billtrack50.com/billdetail/1868238">companion legislation</a> in the Texas Senate sponsored by Sen. Adam Hinojosa of the 27th district, which covers the Rio Grande Valley along the border. Like Guillen, Hinojosa has taken money from TLDA members and <a href="https://www.transparencyusa.org/tx/contributor/scot-campbell?cycle=2015-to-now">received $11,500</a> from Scot Campbell. Neither Guillen nor Hinojosa responded to a request for comment.
TLDA President Kevin Campbell initially told The Daily Wire that the legislation “will have no impact on larger lenders like TLDA members.” But the legislation would benefit residential real estate developers of all sizes in Texas by allowing them to receive an exemption from mortgage origination regulations.
The Daily Wire followed up, asking why the TLDA had invested so heavily in the legislation, was working with a lawyer to draft and modify the bill language, and why it was being carried by a Representative and a Senator who both had financial ties to TLDA members, if TLDA member companies did not stand to gain. Campbell did not respond.

Colony Ridge sign

This Texas Bill, Written By Lawyer For Colony Ridge, Could Sprout More Illegal Immigrant Hotbeds

Colony Ridge

Illegal Immigration

Immigration

Texas

Greg Abbott, Colony Ridge

Colony Ridge Gave Greg Abbott $1.5 Million. Here’s What Greg Abbott Gave Colony Ridge.

Abbott

deportation

Greg Abbott

A Texas real estate company is advertising land along the southern border to Mexican citizens, encouraging them to own “American land,” a marketing strategy that appears to be tailored to foreign nationals and illegal aliens.
The Cayetano Development sells land in the Rio Grande Valley along the southern border and in different areas throughout Texas, encouraging buyers to “own a piece of American land.”
“Within a few weeks you could literally own a piece of American land,” Cayetano <a href="https://www.cayetanodevelopment.com/seller-financing-program">tells prospective</a> buyers, adding that it accepts identification from the Mexican government.
The company’s “valid ID” list includes drivers’ licenses, passports, and most notably, a “tarjeta consular,” a Mexican consulate card issued to Mexican citizens living outside of their home country.
The strategy appears to mimic that of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-colony-ridge-the-fastest-growing-development-in-the-u-s-is-a-magnet-for-illegal-immigrants">Colony Ridge</a>, the 34,000-acre development that sells land to illegal aliens north of Houston and was recently the subject of immigration enforcement raids, which resulted in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nearly-100-illegals-captured-in-colony-ridge-deportation-raids">the capture</a> of nearly 120 illegal aliens.
Cayetano, which sells land outside Austin, Fort Worth, and Laredo, appears to be a member of the Texas Land Developers Association (TLDA), a lobbying organization that advocates for seller-financed land development companies. Seller-finance developments like Colony Ridge and Cayetano don’t rely on traditional mortgages from banks, allowing them to charge higher interest rates and avoid the need for documentation like social security numbers.
John Mays, the <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-mays-56855127">Vice President</a> of Cayetano, was one of the recipients of a leaked email <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-developer-admits-colony-ridge-relies-on-subprime-lending-to-non-citizen-buyers">uncovered</a> by The Daily Wire, in which the former head of the TLDA admitted that the Colony Ridge business model was built on selling American land to foreign buyers who have not established their creditworthiness.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
EXCLUSIVE: A Texas land developer admitted that the Colony Ridge business model relies on selling land to unqualified foreign buyers:
&#8220;We will not be able to sell our developments if each of our buyers have to have SS#’s.&#8221;
I obtained his stunning admissions🧵 <a href="https://t.co/f2nWFuWA5r">pic.twitter.com/f2nWFuWA5r</a>
— Spencer Lindquist 🇺🇸 (@SpencerLndqst) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerLndqst/status/1890063065489735954?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
&#8220;We will not be able to sell our developments if each of our buyers have to have SS#’s and we have to qualify each buyer as to the buyer’s ability to repay,” Scot Campbell, the former head of the Texas Land Developers Association, admitted in the email.
“It will kill our industry and will make our future resale of foreclosed lots worth a lot less … because we will all be fighting over a few qualified buyers,” he added.
Cayetano’s CEO, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyndel-bennett-2b1854151">Kyndel Bennett</a>, is on the <a href="https://texaslanddevelopers.org/about-us/">board of directors</a> of the TLDA alongside Campbell. Bennett <a href="https://www.transparencyusa.org/tx/contributor/kyndel-bennett/?cycle=2015-to-now">donated</a> more than $20,000 to the Texas Land Developers Association political action committee. He also gave $1,000 to State Representative Ryan Guillen, a Republican who represents House District 31 and <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2021/11/15/ryan-guillen-texas-house-switch-party/">left the Democratic Party</a> in 2021. Guillen’s district stretches from the southern border to Floresville, just southeast of San Antonio.
Cayetano offers land throughout Texas, including on the southern border in the Rio Grande Valley, with social media posts <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CayetanoRGVTX/videos/1151973043241375/">advertising</a> that the lots are seller-financed and that buyers do not need to go through a bank. The lots are sold for less than $1,000 down with interest rates ranging from 9.9% to <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@cayetanodevelopment/video/7478845884323745055">as high as 11.9%</a> on a 30-year repayment plan. Buyers <a href="https://www.cayetanodevelopment.com/seller-financing-program">do not need to pass</a> a credit check.
Just like Colony Ridge, Cayetano tells potential buyers to reach out via WhatsApp, which is <a href="https://esimradar.com/whatsapp-internationally/#:~:text=WhatsApp%20operates%20using%20an%20internet,who%20need%20to%20communicate%20internationally.">known as</a> “a go-to app for millions of people who need to communicate internationally.”
Cayetano’s offerings include lots outside of Laredo on the southern border, as well as land just outside of McAllen, which appears to be nestled between &#8220;<a href="https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/colonias">colonias</a>,&#8221; areas that the Texas Attorney General’s Office describes as “substandard housing developments, often found along the Texas-Mexico border, where residents lack basic services such as clean drinking water and access to adequate sewage treatment.”
The company, which is headquartered in Austin, has <a href="https://www.cayetanodevelopment.com/find-your-lot">over 2,300 lots</a> across the state that have either previously been sold or are currently for sale, with a new development underway outside of Dallas.
Cayetano did not respond to a request for comment.

Mexican consulate

Texas Developer Tells Mexican Citizens To ‘Own A Piece Of American Land’ On Southern Border

Border

Colony Ridge, notorious for systematically attracting illegal aliens, sells to buyers with foreign identification documents in order to cater to illegal aliens, undercover video captured by Project Veritas and reviewed by The Daily Wire confirms.
The Texas development, which sprawls across 34,000 acres and is the subject of a series of Daily Wire investigations, markets to illegal aliens and was recently targeted by the Department of Homeland Security and the Texas Department of Public Safety in a raid that resulted in the arrest of 118 illegal aliens.
One undercover journalist with Project Veritas spoke to Colony Ridge saleswoman Sandy Moreno, who confirmed that the development north of Houston is oriented to allow illegal aliens to buy land.
Moreno discussed the forms of identification that the development accepts, saying “it can be a Mexican passport but we need two, the passport and maybe” before an undercover journalist interjected “a Mexican passport and a Mexican driver’s license.”
“Uh-huh … yes those two,” Moreno said, also adding that buyers need to be “residents of Texas.”
“You know, we’re concerned about people that are coming here that might not have their documents,” the journalist said, referring to illegal aliens. “They still want to have a home.” Moreno then confirmed that the development caters to illegal aliens. “Exactly. That’s why we help that way,” Moreno said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 BREAKING: Selling America One Lot at a Time: How Colony Ridge Sells Cheap Land to Illegal Immigrants and Cartels
“I don’t check anybody’s citizenship status… I don’t mess with that.”
“They won’t ask proof – they won’t.”
&#8220;I have no idea what they are. If they financially… <a href="https://t.co/5Lr59jCHFJ">pic.twitter.com/5Lr59jCHFJ</a>
— Project Veritas (@Project_Veritas) <a href="https://twitter.com/Project_Veritas/status/1896555425195041212?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
She also explained that Colony Ridge’s customers come from “different countries,” adding that “maybe the biggest is going to be Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador.” Moreno added that “we have a lot of Cubans.”
The undercover journalist also spoke with Justin Chaney, who handles commercial development and sales for the Texas development. Chaney similarly confirmed that customers could buy land with foreign documentation after the journalist asked “does it have to be a U.S. passport? Do you know?”
“I don’t think so. No. A passport is a passport … it’s just verifying that you are who you are,” Chaney responded. “We don’t care if it&#8217;s Mexico or anywhere.”
“As of today we’re at 12,650 rooftops … the schools are telling us a formula of about 4.3 people per household based off of what the school is seeing in their growth numbers and their attendance,” Chaney noted. “So we’re about 55,000 is our best estimate today right now of about what we have out here.”
But Liberty County officials <a href="https://houstonlanding.org/colony-ridge-watch-the-liberty-county-developments-population-growth-from-2016-to-now/">estimate</a> that Colony Ridge is home to anywhere from 75,000 to 100,000 people. Colony Ridge has stated in promotional materials viewed by The Daily Wire that it intends to surge to a population of 250,000 people in less than a decade.
“I don’t check anybody’s citizenship status. That’s actually illegal,” Chaney added. “So yeah, I don’t mess with any of that” while also providing some insight into how many people may currently be living at Colony Ridge.
But Colony Ridge appears to have intentionally sought out illegal alien buyers instead of merely adhering to laws that prohibit them from asking questions about a buyer’s immigration status.
The development encourages buyers to “own land in the United States” in its Spanish social media posts and utilizes WhatsApp, a platform widely used for international communication, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-colony-ridge-the-fastest-growing-development-in-the-u-s-is-a-magnet-for-illegal-immigrants">reported</a> in 2023. Other posts are tagged “Estados Unidos.”
The Colony Ridge employees confirmed to the undercover journalist that it accepts Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITIN) as a form of identification. ITINs can be obtained by illegal aliens and have been <a href="https://www.nilc.org/resources/itinfaq/">heralded</a> by one Soros-backed organization as a “powerful tool” for immigrants, including illegal aliens.
The development now faces lawsuits from both the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ag-paxton-literally-every-sale-by-colony-ridge-could-be-in-violation-of-consumer-protection-law">Texas Attorney General</a> and the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-doj-sues-colony-ridge-for-bait-and-switch-sales-predatory-financing">Department of Justice</a> and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and stands accused of using predatory sales tactics targeting Hispanic buyers.

Project Veritas Video

Colony Ridge Saleswoman Admits They Sell To Buyers With Foreign IDs, Undercover Video Reveals

Colony Ridge developer William “Trey” Harris has been arrested for the sixth time and now faces charges for driving under the influence and for the unlicensed carrying of a weapon.
The arrest is the latest run-in with the law for Harris, one of the individuals behind the sprawling 60-square mile development just north of Houston that systematically attracts illegal aliens.
Harris, who developed Colony Ridge with his brother, John, was arrested by the Huntsville Police Department on February 23rd for the two charges before being let out of jail two days later, Walker County <a href="https://portal-txwalker.tylertech.cloud/Walker/JailingSearch.aspx?ID=400">jail records</a> show.
The Colony Ridge developer has been arrested on five other occasions since November 2023, including for public intoxication and driving under the influence. After one of his drunk driving charges, when he was found to have a blood alcohol content of 0.15, Harris was sentenced to serve 45 days in jail.
But Harris was let out after serving just half his sentence, with a <a href="https://houstonlanding.org/a-texas-sheriff-cut-a-colony-ridge-developers-jail-term-others-havent-been-so-fortunate/">local outlet</a> calling him “the beneficiary of uncommon treatment given by longtime Walker County Sheriff Clint McRae.”
That uncommon treatment came after Harris, a big political donor, gave McRae $5,000 during the last campaign cycle, making the Colony Ridge developer his biggest donor during the cycle, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/colony-ridge-developer-was-biggest-donor-to-sheriff-who-let-him-out-of-jail-early">The Daily Wire reported</a>.
McRae <a href="https://houstonlanding.org/a-texas-sheriff-cut-a-colony-ridge-developers-jail-term-others-havent-been-so-fortunate/#:~:text=A%20Houston%20Landing%20investigation%20found,full%20sentences%20in%20recent%20months.">told local media</a> at the time that he had “absolutely no shame” about his decision and “would do it exactly the same way if the situation were to occur again.”
Harris’ development has come under scrutiny recently, with the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Department of Homeland Security carrying out a joint operation that <a href="https://x.com/ICEgov/status/1894485344923652152">resulted</a> in the arrest of 118 illegal aliens, including those wanted for homicide, manslaughter, child sexual abuse, drugs and weapons charges, and other crimes.
The joint operation came just days after Colony Ridge, working in partnership with the Rascon Media Group, attempted to sanitize the development&#8217;s reputation in a now-deleted video posted to YouTube. Colony Ridge CEO John Harris claimed that crime was not a problem at the development and called concerns that the cartel could be active in the area &#8220;laughable.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WATCH: Colony Ridge CEO John Harris claimed that cartel concerns were &#8216;laughable&#8217; and that there was not a crime problem at the development.
Then the feds busted multiple cartel members just days later, blowing a hole through the narrative from their public relations team.🧵 <a href="https://t.co/Ln44dRyQtd">pic.twitter.com/Ln44dRyQtd</a>
— Spencer Lindquist 🇺🇸 (@SpencerLndqst) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerLndqst/status/1895149392870387989?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
Three previously deported illegal aliens were arrested just days later, with one of the men admitting to having nearly 350 pounds of methamphetamine stashed in a trailer on a Colony Ridge property. One of the three illegal aliens is believed to be connected to the Cartel Jalisco New Generation, a Mexican cartel that has been named a foreign terror organization, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-illegal-alien-captured-at-colony-ridge-believed-to-be-tied-to-mexican-drug-cartel">exclusively reported</a>.
A previously deported member of MS-13 was also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/previously-deported-ms-13-member-leads-authorities-on-manhunt-in-colony-ridge">captured</a> by authorities after he led them on a seven-hour manhunt. The illegal alien is believed to have stabbed and killed a man inside Colony Ridge.
The development could also be in legal trouble. It currently faces an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/environmental-protection-agency-confirms-active-investigation-into-colony-ridge">investigation</a> from the Environmental Protection Agency, and lawsuits from both the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ag-paxton-literally-every-sale-by-colony-ridge-could-be-in-violation-of-consumer-protection-law">Texas Attorney General</a> and the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-doj-sues-colony-ridge-for-bait-and-switch-sales-predatory-financing">Department of Justice</a> and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Judge’s gavel

Colony Ridge Developer Arrested For Sixth Time, Faces Weapon And DUI Charge

Crime

Colony Ridge CEO John Harris claimed that there is “not a crime problem” in the development just days before authorities captured a member of MS-13 and a suspected member of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel in the development.
Harris made the claim in a <a href="https://x.com/SpencerLndqst/status/1895149392870387989">video</a> produced by the development’s public relations firm, Rascon Media Group. Harris told Rascon that “there’s just not a crime problem out here, there really isn’t” despite a long and documented history of illegal alien crime occurring in the sprawling development just north of Houston. Another clip claimed that allegations of cartel activity in Colony Ridge were “laughable.”
Those claims were thrown into question just days later when three previously deported illegal aliens were arrested, leading to the seizure of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/3-illegal-aliens-arrested-after-344-pounds-of-meth-found-in-colony-ridge">344 pounds of methamphetamine</a> inside a trailer on a Colony Ridge property. The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-illegal-alien-captured-at-colony-ridge-believed-to-be-tied-to-mexican-drug-cartel">confirmed</a> that at least one of the men arrested in the stop is believed to be tied to the Cartel Jalisco New Generation, A Mexican criminal syndicate now designated a foreign terror organization by the Trump administration.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING: Three illegal aliens were arrested in Colony Ridge, leading to the seizure of 344 pounds of meth, about $500k worth.
They&#8217;ve all been deported from the United States before. It&#8217;s no coincidence that they ended up in Colony Ridge, Texas. <a href="https://t.co/2lUJaeQwDV">pic.twitter.com/2lUJaeQwDV</a>
— Spencer Lindquist 🇺🇸 (@SpencerLndqst) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerLndqst/status/1890496843068371384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
The three men were first stopped by authorities with the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office before one of the illegal aliens admitted to possessing methamphetamines on his property, prompting a joint operation from the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Houston Police Department.
Colony Ridge again proved to be a hotbed for criminals after a confirmed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/previously-deported-ms-13-member-leads-authorities-on-manhunt-in-colony-ridge">member of MS-13,</a> who had been deported from the United States seven different times, led authorities on a seven-hour manhunt. The search for El Salvadoran national Luis Miguel Perez came after he allegedly stabbed and killed another man.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
ICE just released a new photo of the MS-13 member that led authorities on a manhunt in Colony Ridge earlier this week after he allegedly stabbed and killed a man.
Luis Miguel-Perez has been deported from the United States several times before coming back into the country. <a href="https://t.co/BBhT9SONUI">pic.twitter.com/BBhT9SONUI</a>
— Spencer Lindquist 🇺🇸 (@SpencerLndqst) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerLndqst/status/1894839561051873373?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
That arrest came as the Department of Homeland Security and the Texas Department of Public Safety carried out a joint operation inside Colony Ridge, which resulted in the arrest of 118 illegal aliens. Immigration and Customs Enforcement <a href="https://x.com/ICEgov/status/1894485344923652152">reported</a> that authorities captured illegal aliens wanted for various crimes, including murder, child sexual abuse, drug and weapons offenses, and manslaughter.
Art Rascon is a former television news anchor who <a href="https://rasconmediagroup.com/services/">now works</a> as a public relations specialist and offers clients assistance in crisis communications and image control. “Rascon Media Group knows image control for a difficult situation and the formula to improve a shattered reputation,&#8221; his firm&#8217;s website reads.
The drug bust was the latest in a long series of illegal alien crimes in the 60-square mile development, which has systematically attracted illegal aliens and stands accused by the Department of Justice of engaging in predatory lending. One illegal alien recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illegal-alien-two-accomplices-plead-guilty-in-colony-ridge-murder-case">admitted to murdering</a> a woman in Colony Ridge after luring her away from her workplace under false pretenses. He also worked alongside two individuals whose immigration status is not known.
That crime occurred just after federal authorities caught a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/guatemalan-human-smuggler-arrested-for-mass-casualty-event-hid-out-in-colony-ridge">Guatemalan human smuggler</a> living in Colony Ridge. The man, Jorge Agapito Ventura, is said to be responsible for a “mass casualty event” that occurred when a tractor trailer full of people he was smuggling overturned, killing more than 50 people. Ventura owned multiple properties in Colony Ridge and purchased his first piece of land in the development in 2019.
There were also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/police-arrest-second-illegal-immigrant-murder-suspect-living-in-colony-ridge">two illegal aliens</a>, both Mexican nationals, wanted by the International Police for murder, who were also caught in the area last year. The two individuals both lived in Colony Ridge, with one already having been reported from the United States twice. Those arrests came right after a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/crime-at-colony-ridge-teen-abducted-in-heavily-scrutinized-texas-development-two-suspects-on-the-run">teen was allegedly abducted at gunpoint inside</a> the development and was shot at as he fled his captors.
A representative of Colony Ridge did not respond to a request for comment.

ICE Arrest Colony Ridge

Colony Ridge CEO Denied Having ‘A Crime Problem’ Days Before Feds Busted Cartel Members There

An illegal alien captured at Colony Ridge, the Texas development that’s systematically attracted illegal aliens, is believed to be connected to a violent Mexican drug cartel, The Daily Wire has learned.
A spokeswoman for the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) told The Daily Wire that at least one of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/3-illegal-aliens-arrested-after-344-pounds-of-meth-found-in-colony-ridge">three illegal aliens</a> caught and deported earlier this month in a traffic stop is believed to have ties to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, a violent criminal organization that traffics drugs and people across the southern border and into the United States.
The entity is <a href="https://www.state.gov/designation-of-international-cartels/">now classified</a> as a Foreign Terror Organization due to an executive order from President Donald Trump.
The bust of those three illegal aliens resulted in the seizure of 344 pounds of meth that one of the illegal aliens, Cruz Isidro Sandoval, was keeping in a trailer on his Colony Ridge property just north of Houston. The DEA spokeswoman did not specify which of the three illegal aliens is suspected to be tied to the cartel.
The revelation further confirms The Daily Wire&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-colony-ridge-the-fastest-growing-development-in-the-u-s-is-a-magnet-for-illegal-immigrants">reporting</a> that Colony Ridge has become a magnet for illegal aliens, including those operating on behalf of the cartels. It also confirms the suspicion of Todd Bensman, Senior National Security Fellow for the Center for Immigration Studies. When asked if it would be possible for an illegal alien to obtain and traffic nearly 350 pounds of meth without ties to the cartels, Bensman responded with a simple and resounding “nope.”
Known in Mexico as Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), the Department of Justice has <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-treasury-and-state-departments-announce-coordinated-enforcement-efforts-against">referred</a> to the criminal entity as “one of the most powerful cartels in Mexico” and “one of the five most dangerous transnational criminal organizations in the world.”
The CJNG, the State Department <a href="https://www.state.gov/designation-of-international-cartels/">says</a>, has launched “attacks on Mexican military and police with military grade weaponry, the use of drones to drop explosives on Mexican law enforcement, and assassinations or attempted assassinations of Mexican officials.
The cartel profits off a number of different criminal enterprises, including the trafficking of drugs like meth, heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl into the United States. The arrest of the three illegal aliens came just before the Department of Homeland Security and the Texas Department of Public Safety launched a joint operation targeting the illegal aliens inside the Colony Ridge development.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement <a href="https://x.com/ICEgov/status/1894485344923652152">reported</a> that 118 illegal aliens had been captured in Monday’s operation, noting that Colony Ridge is “known for its cartel activity and illegal alien population.”
“Charges and convictions of those arrested include criminal sexual conduct, homicide, theft, negligent manslaughter, child sexual abuse, crimes of moral turpitude, weapons offenses and drug offenses,” ICE went on to note.
Among those captured was an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/previously-deported-ms-13-member-leads-authorities-on-manhunt-in-colony-ridge">MS-13 member</a> and El Salvadoran national who had been deported on seven different occasions. The illegal alien is believed to have fatally stabbed a man before leading authorities on a seven-hour manhunt that resulted in his arrest.
Authorities also arrested 39-year-old Florentin Chevez-Luna, another El Salvadoran national who had been deported three times. An ICE spokesman told The Daily Wire that he “was arrested by ICE and Texas DPS pursuant to a criminal arrest warrant for alleged repeated sexual abuse of a minor over an eight-year period from November 2008 to November 2016.”

Liberty County Sheriff’s Office

EXCLUSIVE: Illegal Alien Captured At Colony Ridge Believed To Be Tied To Mexican Drug Cartel

Cartels

Drug Cartels

Drug Enforcement Agency

More than 100 illegal aliens were captured on Monday in the joint deportation operation from the Department of Homeland Security and the Texas Department of Public Safety inside Colony Ridge, the massive Texas development that The Daily Wire exposed as a magnet for illegal aliens.
Border czar Tom Homan described Monday&#8217;s actions as “phase one” of a “larger criminal investigation.” He also highlighted the number of criminal illegal aliens inside Colony Ridge.
&#8220;This is something a little different today,&#8221; Homan <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/homeland-security-texas-agents-arrest-around-90-illegal-immigrants">said</a> to Fox News. &#8220;You know, this is a larger criminal investigation into a network. And a lot of the people we were interested in were located in that area.&#8221; ICE <a href="https://x.com/ICEgov/status/1894485344923652152">reported</a> that a total of 118 illegal aliens, including some suspected of homicide, manslaughter, manslaughter, and child sexual abuse, were caught at the development.
&#8220;The last number I saw was around 69 criminals,&#8221; Homan added, discussing those who have criminal records beyond entering the United States illegally. &#8220;I know for a fact, several child sexual predators were arrested.&#8221;
One of those alleged child sexual predators was Florentin Chevez-Luna, a 39-year-old, three-time previously deported criminal alien from El Salvador.
An ICE spokesman told The Daily Wire that Chevez-Luna “was arrested by ICE and Texas DPS pursuant to a criminal arrest warrant for alleged repeated sexual abuse of a minor over an eight-year period from November 2008 to November 2016.”
Colony Ridge CEO John Harris said that he was thankful for the efforts to arrest the criminal illegal aliens living in the development.
&#8220;We are grateful for the efforts of Governor Abbott, Tom Homan and all those involved in rooting out criminal illegals in Texas,&#8221; Harris stated. &#8220;In fact, DPS officers have been working throughout Colony Ridge for more than two years. They know who the bad guys are, so we are fully supportive of these efforts.”
He also went on to claim that Colony Ridge is “one of the safest communities of its size anywhere in Texas” despite the raid revealing that criminal illegal aliens were active in the area.
Colony Ridge, just north of Houston, has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-colony-ridge-the-fastest-growing-development-in-the-u-s-is-a-magnet-for-illegal-immigrants">systematically attracted</a> illegal aliens to the development, encouraging buyers to “own land in the United States” and advertising that land purchases can be made without social security numbers. A litany of criminal illegal aliens, including drug runners and murder suspects, have been caught in Colony Ridge even before the latest raid. 
This story has been updated to reflect an increase in the number of illegal aliens that authorities report were captured at Colony Ridge.

Illegal alien arrested

Over 100 Illegals Captured In Colony Ridge Deportation Raids

Department of Homeland Security

Politics

Tom Homan

On Monday, a confirmed MS-13 member who had previously been deported from the United States seven different times reportedly led police on a manhunt in Colony Ridge, the Texas development that’s become infamous for attracting illegal aliens, after he allegedly stabbed and killed a man.
Luis Miguel Perez, 34, was ultimately captured in Colony Ridge after a seven-hour pursuit, <a href="https://bluebonnetnews.com/2025/02/24/lms-13-gang-member-deported-7-times-in-custody-after-fatal-stabbing-in-colony-ridge/">according</a> to Bluebonnet News. Perez allegedly stabbed and killed an unidentified man inside the development after a verbal altercation turned physical. The successful search came the same day Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/deportation-operations-launched-in-colony-ridge-targeting-criminals-and-illegal-immigrants">announced</a> that the Texas Department of Public Safety was working with border czar Tom Homan and the Department of Homeland Security to target criminals and illegal aliens inside Colony Ridge.
The Liberty County Sheriff&#8217;s Office deployed drones and K-9 units during the search. Perez was finally caught after he approached a woman’s home and asked her for water and a ride. The woman gave him water and Gatorade before suggesting that he go to the home of a neighbor who spoke Spanish.
She then reported him to authorities, who found Perez at the neighbor’s home. The family was safely evacuated, and law enforcement successfully captured the illegal alien.
Colony Ridge is a 60-square-mile development located just north of Houston. The Daily Wire has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-colony-ridge-the-fastest-growing-development-in-the-u-s-is-a-magnet-for-illegal-immigrants">reported</a> that it implements financial and marketing schemes to systematically attract illegal aliens. The development lures illegal alien buyers by advertising that they do not need to provide a social security number as it encourages them to “own land in the United States.”
Perez is far from the only criminal illegal alien that has been caught in Colony Ridge, including multiple <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/police-arrest-second-illegal-immigrant-murder-suspect-living-in-colony-ridge">murder suspects</a> wanted by the International Police, a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/guatemalan-human-smuggler-arrested-for-mass-casualty-event-hid-out-in-colony-ridge">Guatemalan human smuggler</a> tied to a “mass casualty event,” and most recently, a previously deported illegal alien caught with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/3-illegal-aliens-arrested-after-344-pounds-of-meth-found-in-colony-ridge">344 pounds of meth</a> inside his trailer.
Another illegal alien recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illegal-alien-two-accomplices-plead-guilty-in-colony-ridge-murder-case">admitted to murdering</a> a woman in Colony Ridge after luring her away from her workplace under false premises. He also worked alongside two individuals whose immigration status is unknown.
The development now faces lawsuits from the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-doj-sues-colony-ridge-for-bait-and-switch-sales-predatory-financing">Department of Justice</a> and the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ag-paxton-literally-every-sale-by-colony-ridge-could-be-in-violation-of-consumer-protection-law">Texas Attorney General</a> and an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/environmental-protection-agency-confirms-active-investigation-into-colony-ridge">investigation</a> from the Environmental Protection Agency.

MS-13

Previously Deported MS-13 Member Leads Authorities On Manhunt In Colony Ridge

MS-13 Gang

Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott announced that the Colony Ridge development, a magnet for illegal aliens just north of Houston, is being targeted for deportation operations on Monday by the Department of Homeland Security and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The sprawling development covers roughly 60 square miles and has been the subject of a series of Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-colony-ridge-the-fastest-growing-development-in-the-u-s-is-a-magnet-for-illegal-immigrants">investigations</a> revealing that it systematically attracts illegal aliens through its financial and marketing schemes.
“Colony Ridge is being targeted today,” Abbott wrote in a post on X. “Texas DPS Troopers &amp; Special Agents are assisting Homeland Security Investigations with an operation in Colony Ridge this morning.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Colony Ridge is being targeted today.
Texas DPS Troopers &amp; Special Agents are assisting Homeland Security Investigations, with an operation in Colony Ridge this morning.
They are targeting criminals &amp; illegal immigrants.
I have worked with Tom Homan on this for months.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/status/1894057695491068138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
Abbott added that the authorities are “targeting criminals &amp; illegal immigrants” and that he has “worked with Tom Homan on this for months.”
The announcement comes after an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ice-raids-begin-in-colony-ridge-texas-development-known-for-attracting-illegal-aliens">earlier wave</a> of raids took place at Colony Ridge shortly after President Donald Trump’s inauguration. Those operations are believed to have resulted in the capture of an El Salvadoran illegal alien wanted for murder, among others.
Numerous illegal alien criminals have been caught in Colony Ridge since The Daily Wire’s first investigative reports in 2023, including multiple <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/police-arrest-second-illegal-immigrant-murder-suspect-living-in-colony-ridge">murder suspects</a> wanted by the International Police, a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/guatemalan-human-smuggler-arrested-for-mass-casualty-event-hid-out-in-colony-ridge">Guatemalan human smuggler</a> tied to a “mass casualty event,” and most recently, a previously deported illegal alien caught with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/3-illegal-aliens-arrested-after-344-pounds-of-meth-found-in-colony-ridge">344 pounds of meth</a> inside his trailer.
Another illegal alien recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illegal-alien-two-accomplices-plead-guilty-in-colony-ridge-murder-case">admitted to murdering</a> a woman in Colony Ridge after luring her away from her workplace under false premises. He also worked alongside two individuals whose immigration status is unknown.
The development lures illegal alien buyers by boasting that they do not need to provide a social security number as it encourages them to “own land in the United States.”
State Representative Janis Holt, a Republican whose predecessor had taken money from the Colony Ridge developer and lost his seat amid the Colony Ridge scandal, has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-texas-bill-could-identify-the-foreign-buyers-in-illegal-immigrant-haven-colony-ridge">introduced legislation</a> to track foreign buyers who purchase land in Texas.
The recently introduced legislation from Holt would create a system of tracking property sales, allowing the government to maintain records that could identify the illegal aliens that buy American land.

Tom Homan in Texas

Deportation Operations Launched In Colony Ridge ‘Targeting Criminals And Illegal Immigrants’

Deportations

Three illegal aliens were arrested after a drug bust in Colony Ridge, the sprawling development north of Houston, Texas, known for attracting illegal aliens, resulted in the seizure of 344 pounds of methamphetamines worth roughly half a million dollars.
The individuals, one of whom was armed with a handgun when he was stopped by law enforcement officers, have all been previously deported from the United States.
“A check of all three subjects was conducted and all three were found to be illegal immigrants that all had been deported on at least four other occasions,” a social media post from the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office <a href="https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1019254460228052&amp;id=100064305235395&amp;mibextid=wwXIfr&amp;rdid=oHjieN93W5fFjsfm">revealed</a>. “All three subjects were arrested and transported to the Liberty County Jail.”
The men, Gerson Lopez Zuniga, Cruz Isidro Sandoval, and Adan Aguirre Arzate, were all stopped during a traffic stop in which Sandoval admitted to having a massive supply of illegal narcotics hidden in a trailer at a Colony Ridge property.
“Sandoval was charged with Manufacture/Delivery Controlled Substance over 400g (Felony 1) while Zuniga and Aguirre were jailed with ICE holds,” the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office noted.
The drug bust, which was carried out in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Houston Police Department, and the Texas Department of Public Safety, occurred in a development that has become infamous for systematically attracting illegal aliens through its financial schemes and marketing operations.
Colony Ridge, which encourages buyers to “own land in the United States” but does not require buyers to provide social security numbers, has been the site of numerous illegal alien arrests.
One man busted at Colony Ridge was a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/guatemalan-human-smuggler-arrested-for-mass-casualty-event-hid-out-in-colony-ridge">human smuggler</a> who federal agents say was involved in a “mass casualty event” when a tractor-trailer full of migrants crashed, killing more than 50 people. The Guatemalan national purchased at least four Colony Ridge properties before he was apprehended in a joint operation by the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Two <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/police-arrest-second-illegal-immigrant-murder-suspect-living-in-colony-ridge">illegal alien murder suspects</a> who lived in Colony Ridge were arrested earlier this year. One of the men, described by authorities as a “fugitive murder suspect wanted by Interpol,” had already been deported from the United States twice before establishing a residence in Colony Ridge. Those two arrests came after a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/crime-at-colony-ridge-teen-abducted-in-heavily-scrutinized-texas-development-two-suspects-on-the-run">teen was allegedly abducted at gunpoint inside</a> the development and was shot at as he fled his captors.
One Texas developer defended Colony Ridge’s business practices in an email <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-developer-admits-colony-ridge-relies-on-subprime-lending-to-non-citizen-buyers">uncovered</a> by The Daily Wire, writing that seller-finance developments that offer loans directly to buyers would go under if they had to qualify buyers and check their social security numbers.

Liberty County Drug Bust

3 Illegal Aliens Arrested After 344 Pounds Of Meth Found In Colony Ridge

illegal alien

U.S.

A prominent Texas land developer with ties to Colony Ridge admitted that he profits off selling to unqualified foreign buyers, which could include illegal immigrants, an email obtained by The Daily Wire reveals.
Scot Campbell, the former head of the Texas Land Developers Association, made the comments in response to The Daily Wire’s initial investigation into Colony Ridge, a 60-square mile development north of Houston that’s become infamous for attracting illegal aliens to a once-quiet Texas town through its marketing and financial schemes.
“We will not be able to sell our developments if each of our buyers have to have [social security numbers], and we have to qualify each buyer as to the buyer’s ability to repay,” wrote Campbell, who also <a href="https://srcland.com/about/seller-financed-land-harlingen-tx/">runs</a> the owner-financing company <a href="https://srcland.com/">SRC Land</a>.
“It will kill our industry and will make our future resale of foreclosed lots worth a lot less … because we will all be fighting over a few qualified buyers.” Campbell was writing in response to The Daily Wire’s investigation into Colony Ridge, which highlighted that the development encouraged potential buyers to “own land in the United States.”
<div id="attachment_876173" style="width: 834px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-876173" class=" wp-image-876173" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/TLDA-Leak-300x176.png" alt="" width="824" height="484" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/TLDA-Leak-300x176.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/TLDA-Leak-981x576.png 981w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/TLDA-Leak-768x451.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/TLDA-Leak-1536x902.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/TLDA-Leak.png 1764w" sizes="(max-width: 824px) 100vw, 824px" />Obtained by The Daily Wire</div>
Campbell seemingly went on to confirm The Daily Wire’s report that the marketing tactics used by Colony Ridge had attracted large numbers of illegal aliens, writing, “it was President Biden that opened the flood gates and allowed millions of people in without identification and no jobs.”
Just months after admitting his business model relies on selling to foreigners and unqualified buyers, the Justice Department and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau hit Colony Ridge with a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-doj-sues-colony-ridge-for-bait-and-switch-sales-predatory-financing">lawsuit</a> alleging that the development and its loan operations took advantage of a language barrier to churn unqualified borrowers through a cycle of foreclosure.
The suit was followed by a similar lawsuit from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-attorney-general-ken-paxton-sues-colony-ridge-alleges-fraudulent-practices">charged</a> that Colony Ridge “targets foreign born and Hispanic consumers with limited or no access to credit with promises of cheap, ready to build land and financing without proof of income.”
Campbell characterized The Daily Wire story as an attack on the seller-finance industry, which allows the seller of a property to offer loans directly to buyers without the use of a bank, oftentimes at a significantly higher interest rate than a usual mortgage. He encouraged the Texas Land Developers Association (TLDA), a professional trade union that lobbies in support of the same type of seller-finance schemes, to counter the story.
Scot Campbell’s daughter, Gayle Campbell, is a TLDA member who performed work on behalf of Colony Ridge via her company Loan Originator Services LLC, which processed loans for the development.
Both Loan Originator Services and Gayle Campbell were <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1329731/dl?inline">named</a> in the Justice Department-CFPB suit, which alleged that the company “fails to assess borrower’s ability to repay and does not request proof of income or liabilities from borrowers.” Campbell and her company were later <a href="https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/court/2024/09/18/500318/colony-ridge-houston-federal-lawsuit/#:~:text=The%20judge%20also%20granted%20Loan,had%20participated%20directly%20in%20discrimination.">dismissed</a> from the suit, with the judge saying there was no evidence that she was directly involved in the same discriminatory “reverse redlining” practices that Colony Ridge stands accused of.
Gayle Campbell is not the only link between Colony Ridge and the TLDA. One recipient of Campbell’s emails was <a href="http://www.chuckricegroup.com/">Chuck Rice</a>, a Texas lobbyist who <a href="https://www.transparencyusa.org/tx/lobbying/lobbyist/chuck-rice-jr-13547?cycle=2015-to-now">raked in</a> anywhere from $78,360 to $196,579 from Colony Ridge, another $68,360 to $171,579 from Colony Ridge lawyer Brent Lane, and anywhere from $551,310 to $1.1 million from the TLDA, his biggest client. He received anywhere from $5 to $141,619 from SR Campbell Properties Inc., owned by Scot Campbell.
Scot Campbell told The Daily Wire that his comments about foreign buyers did not necessarily refer to illegal aliens.
“The U.S. real estate industry relies on foreign investment, and Texas is third in the nation for foreign buyers of real estate,” Campbell claimed.
He also told The Daily Wire that foreclosures are unprofitable for owner-financed companies.
“Uneducated onlookers are under the very false impression that foreclosing on owner-financed properties is a good business model. It is not, at least not for me or anyone else I know. Our business model is based entirely on keeping buyers on the property, and trying to never have to foreclose.”
But the CFPB says Colony Ridge foreclosed on <a href="https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-and-doj-sue-developer-and-lender-colony-ridge-for-bait-and-switch-land-sales-and-predatory-financing/">30 percent</a> of lots within three years of their sale, “repurchasing and reselling them, often at higher prices.”
Campbell went on to highlight the regulatory differences between different types of sales, stating that “land sales do not require a buyer to submit documents proving that the borrower would qualify for a bank loan on a house.”
The controversy surrounding Colony Ridge has prompted State Rep. Janis Holt, whose district contains the development, to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-texas-bill-could-identify-the-foreign-buyers-in-illegal-immigrant-haven-colony-ridge">introduce legislation</a> that would assist the state government in tracking land sales. The legislation, House Bill 2159, could be used to identify the foreign buyers in Colony Ridge and similar developments, with Holt saying that it would “bring transparency to all property sales, including properties bought with cash.”
Numerous illegal aliens have been caught living in Colony Ridge, including one <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/guatemalan-human-smuggler-arrested-for-mass-casualty-event-hid-out-in-colony-ridge">human smuggler</a> who federal agents say was involved in a “mass casualty event” when a tractor trailer full of migrants crashed, killing more than 50 people. The man, a Guatemalan national, purchased at least four Colony Ridge properties before he was apprehended in a joint operation by the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Two <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/police-arrest-second-illegal-immigrant-murder-suspect-living-in-colony-ridge">illegal alien murder suspects</a> who lived in Colony Ridge were arrested earlier this year. One of the men, described by authorities as a “fugitive murder suspect wanted by Interpol,” had already been deported from the United States twice before establishing a residence in Colony Ridge.
Those two arrests came after a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/crime-at-colony-ridge-teen-abducted-in-heavily-scrutinized-texas-development-two-suspects-on-the-run">teen was allegedly abducted at gunpoint inside</a> the development and was shot at as he fled his captors.

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