How a butterfly sanctuary was forced to close because of a QAnon conspiracy

Nothing is off limits for right-wing conspiracy theorists who consider themselves QAnon supporters.

We've just about seen it all, and without any chatter from their so-called leader in over a year, the theories have only gotten wackier.

In the past, theories such as Pizzagate and Wayfair have blown up on social media taking one a new life. Now, QAnon has started to claim that butterflies are part of the deep state, which is the theory that there is a secret network of actors in the federal government and high-level industry that operates as a hidden government and exercises power alongside or within the US government.

A recent incident at the National Butterfly Center in Mission, Texas shows just how dangerous these hysterical beliefs riddled with anti-immigration sentiments can prove to be.

The National Butterfly center which is located less than a half-mile from the U.S.-Mexico border has seen chaos since then President Donald Trump echoed his desire to build the wall.

Relatively harmless as of yet, things took a new turn when, according to an emailed press statement by the Center, is being forced to close for three days “due to credible threats we have received from a former state official.”

The National Butterfly Center director Marianna Wright “was advised by [a] former state official (whose daughter is the Hidalgo County GOP chairperson) that she should be armed at all times or out of town this weekend,” due to MAGA supporters

The private nature preserve will be closed from January 28 through January 30, in order to avoid the far-right conference referred to as the “We Stand America” event.

It's scheduled to feature speeches from a mix of various individuals from QAnon, anti-vaxx, and Trump supporters with appearances from National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, Rep. Mark Finchem (R-Ariz.), Patrick Byrne, and QAnon promoter Mel K.

In the past, the center has been a target for right-wingers, specifically the Trumpist group, “We Build the Wall” campaign.

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Brian Kolfage, a leader of the group, has tweeted that the butterfly center was harboring an illegal sex trade and dead bodies, according to The Daily Beast.

He is reported to have tweeted in 2019: “The only butterflies we saw were swarming a decomposing body surrounded by tons of rotting trash left behind by illegals."

The outlet also shared that on January 21, Wright received a startling message from her son alerting her two women were on their property and were demanding he open a gate so that they could go see “illegals crossing on rafts.”

“Immediately, we knew what that was about,” Wright told the outlet. “It was an echo and reiteration of the lies Steve Bannon’s ‘We Build The Wall’ campaign published and promoted against us for years.”

After confronting the women, Wright claimed in an affidavit that they told her they were a congressional candidate and a Secret Service agent in an attempt to gain access inside.

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