Elon Musk’s SpaceX has been accused of trespassing on land owned by US sport firm, Playing cards In opposition to Humanity, for greater than six months as per a lawsuit filed and introduced on September 19, 2024. Nonetheless, satellite tv for pc imagery reveals that the land has been in use for greater than 12 months.
At time of writing, SpaceX had not replied to our request for remark. We’ve got no proof SpaceX knowingly trespassed on Playing cards In opposition to Humanity’s land. They haven’t issued any public assertion responding to the continued lawsuit.
Credit score: Google Earth/Airbus. Handle: Tarpon Ben, Brownsville, Texas 78521, US
The Playing cards In opposition to Humanity case revolves round a stretch of land in Cameron County, Texas, the place dozens of parcels of land lie adjoining to at least one one other. Operating alongside the Rio Grande River, these parcels sit proper on the border between the US and Mexico. A number of of the plots are owned by Area Exploration Applied sciences Corp, higher generally known as ‘SpaceX’, however they’re interspersed, typically wedged between plots belonging to small companies or people.
In 2017, Playing cards In opposition to Humanity bought parcel quantity 173555 (previously generally known as lot 11) below the title Gap Holding LLC. They purchased it in protest of former President Donald Trump’s border wall and with the intention of not growing it, however slightly holding it in its pure state. Playing cards In opposition to Humanity crowdsourced funding to purchase the land, stating that it obtained 150,000 separate donations of $15 every.
Playing cards In opposition to Humanity advised Bellingcat:
“Our lawsuit relies on SpaceX’s trespass and harm to our property by means of their in depth use of it for storage of building supplies and automobiles.”
Of their lawsuit, they are saying a fence and an indication stating “No Trespassing” marked the sting of their website. Additionally they state that the work being carried out on this land might make it seem as if their organisation is working with Musk and/or SpaceX’s contractors–one thing they are saying is “offensive” and will “be dangerous to its fame with its supporters.”
Timeline of exercise
Utilizing the official Cameron County, Texas GIS mapping website, we have been in a position to plot the property traces for all landowners, together with SpaceX and Playing cards In opposition to Humanity. Although the GIS knowledge serves as a helpful indicator, it’s essential to notice the disclaimer on the Cameron County web site, which states it represents “solely the approximate relative location of property boundaries.”
When viewing satellite tv for pc imagery from Planet Explorer and Google Earth Professional, we noticed building on the land as early as October 2023, and obvious exercise as early as June 2023, sooner than the date referenced within the Playing cards In opposition to Humanity lawsuit.
Playing cards In opposition to Humanity advised Bellingcat that on the time of writing their petition, “SpaceX’s violation had been occurring for over six months.” They acknowledged it might now quantity to “a couple of 12 months.”
We roughly annotated plots belonging to SpaceX (purple) and Card Playing cards In opposition to Humanity (blue) within the picture beneath. These are estimations and never actual property traces, as per the Cameron County disclaimer concerning the knowledge listed on its website. SpaceX additionally owns one other plot closeby, as shall be detailed later.
The land seems untouched on the finish of Might 2023, however lower than a month later, tyre tracks are seen throughout a number of tons. By August 2023, nearly the entire vegetation has been cleared. By April 2024, a number of constructions have been erected on plots belonging to SpaceX. These buildings are nonetheless seen in the latest satellite tv for pc imagery from October 2024.
SpaceX didn’t reply to questions on whether or not its actions and/or its contractors have been accountable for the automobile marks seen in June 2023 satellite tv for pc imagery or different questions referring to exercise on the plots of land.
SpaceX was issued with an official tackle for lot 10 on June 17, 2023, adjoining to Playing cards In opposition to Humanity’s plot, lot 11. This was detailed in an undated picture of a public discover included within the Playing cards In opposition to Humanity lawsuit.
It should be famous that the picture was probably taken someday after June 2023, as the development of the buildings within the background seems extra superior than what’s seen within the satellite tv for pc imagery at the moment.
Nonetheless, because the picture montage above reveals, exercise was first detected on the website round June 2023, aligning with the June 17 date. The primary indicators of the constructions seen within the pictures from the lawsuit have been captured in satellite tv for pc imagery from October 2023.
A search of the Cameron County Division of Transportation database reveals three residential building permits for SpaceX, permitted by the Metropolis and issued in September 2023. There have been additionally three momentary construction permits for a similar parcels, issued in February 2024. The dates these permits have been issued align with when satellite tv for pc knowledge first reveals the development of the buildings.
Evaluation suggests these buildings haven’t encroached on any land aside from these belonging to SpaceX. Nonetheless, given the disclaimer by Cameron County’s GIS mapping service that the information represents solely an “approximate relative location of property boundaries,” an on-the-ground survey could be wanted for full accuracy.
One other attention-grabbing remark from the satellite tv for pc imagery is that it seems it isn’t simply land owned by Playing cards In opposition to Humanity that has been affected. Exercise can also be seen throughout the identical time interval on three different neighbouring parcels.
As could be seen within the beneath picture, the place the plots of two different impartial landowners have been highlighted in yellow (with SpaceX in purple and Playing cards In opposition to Humanity in blue), work appears to have impacted these websites too over the identical time interval. We’ve got no proof SpaceX or its contractors knowingly trespassed on these parcels of land.
Bellingcat tried to contact the people listed on the Cameron County web site because the house owners of those plots to ask whether or not the exercise seen within the satellite tv for pc pictures was associated to them or if anybody had contacted them relating to the usage of their land. Bellingcat additionally requested if they’d bought the land to SpaceX.
One declined to talk with us, whereas the opposite, we found, was deceased. When talking with their household, they mentioned that they have been unaware of any exercise on the land. They mentioned they’d not too long ago agreed to promote the plot to SpaceX. For privateness causes, they requested to not be named.
At time of writing, the Cameron County web site nonetheless listed the deceased particular person because the parcel’s registered proprietor. Cameron County’s Appraisal Division advised Bellingcat by way of e-mail that as it isn’t a authorized requirement for his or her division to be notified when a switch of possession takes place, they can not assure that the information on their web site is updated.
Bellingcat sought remark from SpaceX relating to the small print on this story however didn’t obtain a response earlier than publication.
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