FBI Director Kash Patel took part in a snorkeling excursion around the USS Arizona memorial in Hawaii during a two-day official stop last August at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, before returning from Australia and New Zealand [1, 2]. He swam near the sunken USS Arizona tomb for about 30 minutes alongside nine others on a tour coordinated by the military [1, 2].
The USS Arizona memorial holds the remains of over 900 to 1,000 US Navy sailors and Marines who died in the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack, making it hallowed ground [1, 2]. The FBI said the visit was part of Patel’s national security engagements with counterparts from New Zealand, Australia, the Honolulu FBI field office, and Department of War officials [1, 2]. It described the snorkeling as a historical tour "to honor heroes who died on the USS Arizona – not a party" [1].
Patel was invited by Admiral Samuel J Paparo Jr., head of the US Indo-Pacific Command [1]. An FBI spokesperson criticized characterizations of the visit as a party or vacation, calling such claims "so stupid" and emphasizing the military coordination of the trip [1].
Still, the trip drew criticism. Marine veteran Hack Albertson said, "It’s like having a bachelor party at a church. It’s hallowed ground. It needs to be treated with the solemnity it deserves" [2]. The exact frequency of VIP snorkeling tours near the USS Arizona and snorkeling permissions are not publicly disclosed [1, 2].
Separately, Patel attended a country music concert in Philadelphia with his girlfriend Alexis Wilkins, arriving on a government Gulfstream V jet and watching from a private suite costing over $35,000 [2].
The snorkeling visit took place during Patel’s official travel stop in Hawaii in August 2025. No further official events related to this trip have been reported.
