WASHINGTON — FBI Director Kash Patel took part in a military-coordinated “VIP snorkel” around the USS Arizona memorial in Hawaii last summer during an official trip, according to government emails obtained by The Associated Press.
Government emails and officials said military personnel arranged logistics for the snorkeling excursion, which took place at Pearl Harbor after Patel visited the FBI’s Honolulu field office and met with local law enforcement during a two-day stop in Hawaii in August. The FBI did not previously disclose the snorkeling activity in its public statements about the trip.
The USS Arizona memorial sits above a sunken battleship that serves as the resting place for more than 900 service members killed in the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. Access to the site is restricted, and snorkeling or diving is generally prohibited, though officials have at times approved limited visits for select government and military personnel.
A Navy spokesperson confirmed Patel participated in the snorkeling outing and said participants were instructed not to touch the wreck and were briefed on the memorial’s significance. The Navy also said it did not track who initiated the request for the visit.
An FBI spokesperson said Patel’s Hawaii visit formed part of official engagements with counterparts in New Zealand, Australia, the Honolulu field office, and the Department of War, and said senior military officials hosted him at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.
Emails obtained by AP show military officials described the event as a “VIP Snorkel.” The National Park Service, which co-manages the site, said it did not participate in organizing the activity and declined to comment on the excursion.
The snorkeling activity drew criticism from former Justice Department officials and others who questioned its appropriateness at a military cemetery.
Patel’s visit to Hawaii followed official travel to Australia and New Zealand and preceded additional stops, including a return visit to the United States, according to flight tracking data cited in the report.
Officials said snorkeling and limited diving at the site have been granted in rare cases to senior officials and specialists involved in managing the memorial.