Story perspectives

FBI Dismisses Criticism of Patel's USS Arizona Snorkel

5/15/2026

Center

Patel Snorkels Arizona

The FBI called media criticism of Director Kash Patel’s USS Arizona snorkeling “stupid,” dismissing it as routine interagency engagement.
Director Kash Patel snorkeled the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor in August on an excursion coordinated by the FBI.
AP-obtained emails show the FBI handled logistics while the National Park Service was excluded.
Marine diver Hack Albertson called the swim inappropriate, likening it to a bachelor-party-at-a-church.

Left

Patel Snorkels

The FBI brushed off media criticism of Director Kash Patel’s USS Arizona snorkeling, calling the coverage “stupid.”
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History

Historical Context

On 7 December 1941 Japanese aircraft sank the battleship USS Arizona, killing 1,177 crewmen and leaving the wreck as a permanent war memorial. The National Park Service later preserved the site, while the wreck remains off Pearl Harbor. In August 2024 FBI official Kash Patel snorkeled the wreck without NPS coordination, prompting Marine diver Hack Albertson and others to question agency jurisdiction over the historic grave.

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Patel Snorkels Arizona

The FBI called media criticism of Director Kash Patel’s USS Arizona snorkeling “stupid,” dismissing it as routine interagency engagement.
Director Kash Patel snorkeled the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor in August on an excursion coordinated by the FBI.
AP-obtained emails show the FBI handled logistics while the National Park Service was excluded.
Marine diver Hack Albertson called the swim inappropriate, likening it to a bachelor-party-at-a-church.

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