Behind FBI chief Kash Patel’s Hawaii work trip: A ‘VIP snorkel’ at sacred Pearl Harbor site
Patel's Hawaii trip scrutiny deepens after reports of a military-coordinated snorkel excursion near USS Arizona raised questions over official travel.
FBI director Kash Patel testifies before the Senate Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies hearing on Fiscal Year 2027 in Washington. (AP Photo) FBI director Kash Patel is facing renewed criticism over his visit to Hawaii last summer where it is alleged that he blended leisure travel with official business and reportedly instructed FBI employees to make accommodations for him and his girlfriend Alexis Wilkins.
According to the FBI, Patel was not on vacation in Hawaii and highlighted the FBI director’s walking tour of the bureau’s Honolulu office and meetings held with the local law enforcement officials, AP reported. However, FBI’s press releases omitted an exclusive excursion which Patel took which has been described by government officials as “VIP snorkel”.
The alleged “VIP Snorkel” excursion
Patel’s alleged “VIP snorkel” was coordinated by the military and took place around the USS Arizona. The FBI hasn’t revealed Patel’s snorkeling session or that he came back to Hawaii after his initial stopover on the island.
FBI director Kash Patel testifies before the Senate Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies hearing on Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request for the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration; the United States Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo)
The USS Arizona Memorial is seen before a ceremony to mark the 83rd anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Honolulu. (AP Photo/ File)
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