ICE officers are leaving Minnesota as “Operation Metro Surge” comes to an end, Department of Homeland Security funding is set to run dry on Saturday, and an “illegal immigrant enclave” in Texas agrees to a $68 million settlement.
It’s Friday, February 13, 2026, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Homan Announces End To ‘Operation Metro Surge’</h2>
Border czar Tom Homan <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-to-end-ices-operation-metro-surge-in-minnesota-homan-says">announced</a> the end of “Operation Metro Surge” in Minnesota on Thursday. 
Homan said he is satisfied with his meetings with local authorities and has sufficient cooperation to conclude the operation, which means officers and agents flown in from across the country will return to their home offices. More police chiefs and sheriffs are apparently on board with honoring ICE detainers, and ICE will be readily available and stationed near jails to pick up inmates, rather than forcing local jurisdictions to hold them longer than necessary. 
Homan added that President Donald Trump greenlit the decision. Homan’s announcement is the big step toward Trump’s softer approach toward interior immigration enforcement after the shooting deaths of two Americans by federal agents in Minneapolis.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Congress Stares Down Another Shutdown</h2>
Homeland Security <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/homeland-security-shutdown-likely-as-schumer-accuses-trump-admin-of-thuggery?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Homeland+Security+Shutdown+Likely+As+Schumer+Accuses+Trump+Admin+Of+%E2%80%98Thuggery%E2%80%99">seems</a> <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrats-will-shut-down-the-department-of-homeland-security-this-week-white-house-says?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Democrats+Will+Shut+Down+The+Department+Of+Homeland+Security+This+Week%2C+White+House+Says">poised</a> to experience a lapse in government funding on Saturday at midnight amid an intense debate on immigration reforms. 
A test vote in the Senate to see if there was enough support to pass another continuing resolution failed on Thursday afternoon. The House has gone home, but members could be asked to return if a deal is reached. 
Democrats have not appeared pleased with the White House&#8217;s counteroffer on immigration reform. Details on that counteroffer are still fairly unclear. Democrats want an end to masking for agents and a change in warrants. Warrants are likely to be the hottest topic among the changes, as shifting from administrative to judicial warrants for many of these arrests could make the process much more difficult.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Trump DOJ Settles Colony Ridge Suit</h2>
A settlement has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/colony-ridge-agrees-to-pay-68-million-in-penalties-for-illegal-immigrant-haven?author=Brent+Scher&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Colony+Ridge+Agrees+To+Pay+%2468+Million+In+Penalties+For+%E2%80%98Illegal+Immigrant+Haven%E2%80%99">reached</a> in the lawsuit against Colony Ridge, the massive Texas development that became a magnet for illegal immigrants. 
Colony Ridge was hailed by the developers as the fastest-growing development in the whole United States. But it wasn&#8217;t just a big development. The business model that The Daily Wire helped to uncover was that its marketing strategy was aimed exclusively at illegal immigrants, or at least foreign populations. 
Ultimately, the Biden administration sued the developer over loans and the marketing strategy. The Trump administration is now jointly settling this lawsuit with Texas&#8217;s Republican attorney general. The settlement reached lays the groundwork not only to put an end to the scheme but also to provide a major boost to the surrounding communities affected by it. The settlement is $68 million, not payments to anyone, but payments to fix what they created at Colony Ridge.

Border Czar Tom Homan Speaks In Minneapolis During Operation Metro Surge

Morning Brief: ICE Backs Down In Minnesota, A Shutdown Looms, & Colony Ridge Agrees To $68M Settlement

Colony Ridge

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Government Shutdown

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Minnesota

Morning Wire

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Tom Homan

Colony Ridge, the Texas neighborhood that became the “fastest growing development” in the country thanks to a marketing scheme that targeted illegal immigrants, has <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txsd.1945245/gov.uscourts.txsd.1945245.149.1.pdf">agreed</a> to pay $68 million in penalties in a joint settlement with the Trump administration and the State of Texas.
The developers of Colony Ridge, located just north of Houston, came under both federal and state investigation after a 2023 report by 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" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exposed</a> how it grew to nearly 100,000 residents with a business model catered to illegal immigrants. Its Spanish-only marketing campaigns were directed at foreign buyers.
The initial lawsuit was brought by the Biden administration, which said Colony Ridge “targeted Hispanic consumers with predatory loans” and “misled” them about what they were getting. Colony Ridge sold inexpensive plots of land at sky-high interest rates, with a type of loan available to illegal immigrants who are ineligible to apply for traditional loans. The buyers ended up in a “cycle of foreclosure,” creating a “nightmare for thousands of hardworking Hispanic families,” Biden’s Department of Justice said, treating the illegal immigrant population as the victim.
The settlement, however, was reached by the Trump administration and Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. Its provisions appear designed not only to punish Colony Ridge, but also to end its ability to give loans to illegal immigrants, and even to supercharge deportations.
Included in the settlement is a pledge to require purchasers to present a valid Texas-issued driver’s license or identification card, or a valid visa issued after January 1, 2025. Also included is a pledge to spend $20 million to build a new law enforcement center inside Colony Ridge, where cartel activity has taken a foothold.
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According to Paxton, the funding can be used to facilitate deportations carried out by local Texas law enforcement.
“Colony Ridge endangered American citizens by allowing illegal aliens to run rampant on its streets, in its schools, and in its community. Now, it’s time for those responsible to pay a steep cost for their unlawful actions,” Paxton said. “My office will continue to bring the full force of the law against anyone who threatens the safety of our state or creates a safe harbor for illegals.”
Paxton’s office said the agreement “halts the development of a de facto illegal immigrant community.”
Among the other provisions are $48 million for infrastructure improvements to the development, which was plagued by flooding and sewage issues, and a promise to end its predatory lending practices.
“This DOJ will go after all lenders, financiers, and land developers who participate in schemes which ultimately encourage illegal immigration,” said Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. “The changes required by this settlement will promote public safety, and affordable and sustainable homeownership in America, key priorities of this administration.”
LISTEN TO MORNING WIRE’S INVESTIGATION INTO COLONY RIDGE:
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Colony Ridge became a flash point for the illegal immigration crisis in America. The massive influx of illegal immigrants that came across the border during the Biden administration found a whole community that was ready to accept them.
The communities that surrounded them all of a sudden saw their lives changed. Their once-quiet towns were now down the street from shocking crimes, such as three previously deported illegal immigrants who were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/3-illegal-aliens-arrested-after-344-pounds-of-meth-found-in-colony-ridge?author=Spencer+Lindquist&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=3+Illegal+Aliens+Arrested+After+344+Pounds+Of+Meth+Found+In+Colony+Ridge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">caught with 344 pounds of crystal meth</a>, Mexican <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-illegal-alien-captured-at-colony-ridge-believed-to-be-tied-to-mexican-drug-cartel?author=Spencer+Lindquist&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Illegal+Alien+Captured+At+Colony+Ridge+Believed+To+Be+Tied+To+Mexican+Drug+Cartel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drug cartel leadership</a>, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illegal-alien-two-accomplices-plead-guilty-in-colony-ridge-murder-case?author=Spencer+Lindquist&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Illegal+Alien%2C+Two+Accomplices+Plead+Guilty+In+Colony+Ridge+Murder+Case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">several brutal murders</a>.
After President Trump took office, deportation raids captured more than 100 targets in Colony Ridge alone, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nearly-100-illegals-captured-in-colony-ridge-deportation-raids?author=Spencer+Lindquist&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Over+100+Illegals+Captured+In+Colony+Ridge+Deportation+Raids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.

Colony Ridge Agrees To Pay $68 Million In Penalties For ‘Illegal Immigrant Haven’

Harmeet Dhillon

Ken Paxton

The same financial scheme that allowed Texas developers to profit off untold numbers of illegal aliens by selling them American homes is now being employed by lenders all across the country.
In the absence of a Social Security number, many illegal aliens have discovered a widely available form of identification from the IRS that can give them access to lenders all across the country, far beyond Colony Ridge.
Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs), introduced in 1996, enable the IRS to process taxes for individuals who don&#8217;t have a Social Security number. They’ve since been <a href="https://www.nilc.org/resources/itinfaq/">heralded</a> by one far-left, Soros-backed group as a “powerful tool” for illegal aliens, who can use the IRS-issued identification to buy their own slice of America, whether in a development like Colony Ridge or a residential neighborhood.
The financial loophole has allowed for the creation of an entire industry that markets and caters to illegal aliens looking to cement their presence in the United States by securing a mortgage and buying a home. The loophole provides fuel for the growth of places 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>, which now hopes to reach a population of 250,000. As The Daily Wire previously reported, with the influx of illegal immigrants, Colony Ridge has become a hub for criminal activity and drug trafficking and has been called home by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/colony-ridge-ceo-denied-having-a-crime-problem-days-before-feds-busted-cartel-members-there?author=Spencer+Lindquist&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Colony+Ridge+CEO+Denied+Having+‘A+Crime+Problem’+Days+Before+Feds+Busted+Cartel+Members+There">cartel members</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-illegal-alien-captured-at-colony-ridge-believed-to-be-tied-to-mexican-drug-cartel?author=Spencer+Lindquist&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Illegal+Alien+Captured+At+Colony+Ridge+Believed+To+Be+Tied+To+Mexican+Drug+Cartel">drug runners</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/guatemalan-human-smuggler-arrested-for-mass-casualty-event-hid-out-in-colony-ridge">human smugglers</a>, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/police-arrest-second-illegal-immigrant-murder-suspect-living-in-colony-ridge?author=Spencer+Lindquist&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Police+Arrest+Second+Illegal+Immigrant+Murder+Suspect+Living+In+Colony+Ridge">wanted murderers</a>.
The Daily Wire spotlighted specific lenders catering to illegal aliens, not by creating massive developments like Colony Ridge, but simply by advertising mortgage loans to illegal aliens looking to buy American homes.
One Pennsylvania-based company, highlighted by The Daily Wire, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/yet-another-mortgage-company-is-marketing-home-loans-to-illegal-aliens">sought</a> to “empower non-citizens” through its lending practices. The company, named Amres, even told the stories of illegal aliens who successfully used ITIN documents to get mortgage loans.
There’s also a Connecticut lender that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-the-company-financing-the-illegal-alien-takeover-of-american-homes">operates</a> in Texas, Florida, and four other states. That company, Prysma Lending Group, distributed a guide to prevent deportation and even hosted a conversation with an immigration lawyer.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WATCH: A mortgage lending company admitted that its loans are targeted at illegal aliens — and even created a guide for illegals on avoiding deportation.
While Americans struggle to buy homes, Prysma Lending is selling out our country to illegal aliens one home at a time.🧵 <a href="https://t.co/E9n1bql7bi">pic.twitter.com/E9n1bql7bi</a>
— Spencer Lindquist 🇺🇸 (@SpencerLndqst) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerLndqst/status/1927734581366505699?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
Then there’s Cayetano, a development company highlighted by The Daily Wire that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-developer-tells-mexican-citizens-to-own-a-piece-of-american-land-on-southern-border">tells foreign nationals</a> to “own a piece of American land,” in Texas along the border with Mexico. The company owns multiple developments across Texas and accepts Mexican consulate cards as valid forms of identification, all while mimicking Colony Ridge with marketing tactics that appeared tailored to illegal aliens.
Amres, Prysma, and Cayetano, each of which has previously been the subject of Daily Wire investigations, are just isolated examples of a broader trend, with a slate of companies across the country advertising home loans to illegal aliens.
There’s also Novus Home Mortgage, a division of a Wisconsin-based bank that <a href="https://www.novushomemortgage.com/loans/itin-programs/">says</a> ITIN lending is open to those without a social security number, “including both legal residents and undocumented immigrants.”
Florida-based company AD Mortgage, which operates in 48 states, similarly appeals to illegal aliens on its site. Among those who <a href="https://admortgage.com/blog/itin-for-non-resident/">qualify</a> for ITIN loans, AD Mortgage says, are “immigrants, including undocumented individuals.”
Defy Mortgage <a href="https://defymortgage.com/learn/itin-loans-a-guide-to-mortgages-for-non-us-citizens/">explains</a> that it “provides comprehensive mortgage solutions tailored to non-US citizens.” Defy Mortgage specifically highlights that illegal aliens are eligible to receive ITINs. The company’s site goes on to say that those who can get an ITIN include “non-resident aliens, undocumented immigrants, and dependents who cannot get an SSN.”
ITIN lending, immigration experts say, provides another incentive for illegal aliens to remain in the United States.
“Access to mortgages can serve as an incentive for illegal aliens to remain in the country, especially at a time when the goal of the government is convincing illegal aliens to leave,” Ira Mehlman, the Media Director for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-the-company-financing-the-illegal-alien-takeover-of-american-homes">previously told</a> The Daily Wire. He added that Congress could take action to establish a national standard for lending, or even consider prohibiting mortgage lending to individuals without legal residency in the United States. 
Some companies appear to have <a href="https://nationalmortgageprofessional.com/news/undocumented-not-unmortgageable-05042025">noticed</a> that ITIN lending could become increasingly risky under the Trump administration, both because of mass deportations and the potential introduction of new regulations.
Tricolor Holdings, which specializes in auto lending, said that it serves “credit [to] invisible Hispanics” and <a href="https://www.tricolorholdings.com/pdf/investors/Tricolor_Social_Bond_Framework.pdf">boasted</a> in one 2023 report that 69% of its customers were “undocumented,” a conclusion it reached after assessing the percentage of borrowers that didn’t use a social security number.
A representative of Tricolor Holdings told The Daily Wire that it has shifted its focus. &#8220;Due to the current environment, Tricolor shifted its focus from the no FICO borrower to a general market profile,&#8221; the representative said.
There is further indication that the Trump administration&#8217;s immigration enforcement policies could be having a chilling effect on ITIN lending.
One lender at JVN Lending, based in Walnut Creek, California, reports that she has noticed a decrease in the number of ITIN borrowers this year. That company <a href="https://www.jvmlending.com/loan-types/itin-mortgage-loan/">boasts</a> on its site that there is “no visa required” and “no social security number required” for borrowers of ITIN loans.
While it may take congressional action to truly confront the industry, increased enforcement could prompt ITIN lenders to reassess the risk profile of their financial strategies. The Department of Homeland Security and the IRS <a href="https://www.epi.org/policywatch/ice-and-irs-reach-agreement-to-share-taxpayer-information-of-suspected-undocumented-immigrants/">signed an agreement</a> allowing the federal law enforcement agency to receive information on taxpayers who are believed to be illegal aliens.
If illegal aliens know that filing for an ITIN might get their name and identifying information lodged in an ICE database, they may be much less eager to hand over their information to the federal government. 
Novus Home Mortgage, AD Mortgage, and Defy Mortgage did not respond to a request for comment.

American homes, illegal aliens

The Lending Scheme That Gave Rise To Colony Ridge Is Happening All Across America

The Same Lending Scheme That Gave Rise To Colony Ridge Is Happening Across America

deportation

Illegal Immigration

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Daily Wire investigative reporter Spencer Lindquist took home a 2025 Media Research Center Bulldog Award for excellence in conservative media.
The Media Research Center (MRC) presents the <a href="https://newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/nb-staff/2025/05/06/mrc-announces-fourth-annual-bulldog-award-winners-sowell-musk-kelly" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bulldog Awards</a> to conservative journalists, columnists, and podcast hosts each year as an alternative to the left-leaning Pulitzer Prize. Lindquist received the MRC Bulldog Award for Outstanding Blogger for his reporting on Colony Ridge, a housing development in Texas that advertises to illegal immigrants and has become a hotbed of illegal alien crime.
Lindquist has “documented rising crime in the greater Colony Ridge area, including a child abduction, drug overdoses, drug trafficking, drunk driving, murders, and hideouts for criminal illegal immigrants,” the MRC announced this week.
“Despite that, Lindquist reported that developers view mass immigration as a business opportunity, including the systematic targeting of illegal immigrants by allowing them to purchase land without a Social Security number.”
The MRC further notes that “thanks to Lindquist’s reporting, Colony Ridge has been put squarely in the crosshairs of the Trump administration, including immigration operations that have nabbed over 100 illegal aliens and MS-13 gang members.”
Other Bulldog Award recipients this year include the economist Thomas Sowell, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award; Elon Musk, who was named Outstanding Social Media Personality; the Wall Street Journal’s Kimberly Strassel, Outstanding Columnist; and CNN contributor Scott Jennings, who was honored for Outstanding Achievement Behind Enemy Lines.
Beyond Colony Ridge, Lindquist has reported on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/baltimore-judge-gets-in-the-way-of-another-trump-gang-member-deportation?author=Spencer+Lindquist&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=10&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Baltimore+Judge+Gets+In+The+Way+Of+Another+Trump+Gang+Member+Deportation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">judicial efforts</a> to stymie the Trump administration’s immigration policies and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-nearly-freed-a-twice-deported-illegal-alien-drunk-driver-now-newsom-is-backtracking?author=Spencer+Lindquist&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=12&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=California+Nearly+Freed+A+Twice-Deported+Illegal+Alien+Drunk+Driver+%E2%80%94+Now+Newsom+Is+Backtracking" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cataloged</a> instances of illegal immigrant crime. Just this week, he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-trump-dhs-partners-with-100s-of-police-departments-to-supercharge-deportation-campaign?author=Spencer+Lindquist&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Trump+Makes+Move+To+Super-Charge+Deportations+Using+Local+Cops" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broke the news</a> that the Trump administration was deputizing local law enforcement agencies to carry out certain ICE duties, including deportations.
Outside of immigration, Lindquist has also reported extensively on the transgender lobby and left-wing environmental policies, among other issues.
“As trust in left-wing media continues to collapse, independent news sources featuring fearless truth-tellers are on the rise,” MRC Vice President for Research and Publications Brent Baker said. “This year’s MRC Bulldog winners are replacing discredited leftists who claim to report the news, yet failed the American people when it came to stories like the Russiagate scandal and Joe Biden’s cognitive decline.&#8221;
Lindquist joins a number of his Daily Wire colleagues in the ranks of MRC Bulldog Award winners. Daily Wire editor emeritus Ben Shapiro and host Matt Walsh have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-daily-wires-ben-shapiro-and-kassy-akiva-win-conservative-media-awards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">each received</a> the Outstanding Podcast Award. Daily Wire White House correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan and video journalist Kassy Akiva have previously been named Outstanding Blogger. And Daily Wire investigative reporter Luke Rosiak was the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/daily-wires-luke-rosiak-wins-award-for-outstanding-investigative-journalist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first-ever recipient</a> of the MRC’s Bulldog Award for Outstanding Investigative Journalist.

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Daily Wire Investigative Reporter Spencer Lindquist Honored For Colony Ridge Reporting

Awards

Daily Wire

Journalism

Media Research Center

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

Greg Abbott, Colony Ridge

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

Abbott

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

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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.

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Over 100 Illegals Captured In Colony Ridge Deportation Raids

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