Overview
- The FBI said it acquired multiple armored BMW X5s for Director Kash Patel’s transport after he requested them.
- Sources say Patel sought the SUVs to be less conspicuous, departing from the bureau’s long-standing use of Chevrolet Suburbans.
- Spokesperson Ben Williamson defended the choice as a routine, cost-saving fleet update, but the bureau has not released documents substantiating the claimed savings.
- The State Department uses similar armored BMWs for overseas protection, though past FBI directors typically used Suburbans for domestic travel.
- Reporting also says Patel pushed for a new director’s jet that was dropped over $90–$115 million cost estimates, and he pursued communications upgrades to the existing Gulfstream that are described differently by critics and allies.