Overview
- New reporting details an NRA convention incident where FBI SWAT agents left after securing the venue, prompting Patel to reprimand the team’s commander for departing before Alexis Wilkins finished interacting with attendees.
- Current and former officials describe assigning SWAT‑qualified personnel to Wilkins as highly unusual, citing their tactical mission focus, limited VIP‑protection training, and ad‑hoc deployments with little advance planning.
- Agents tied to Nashville and other field offices were sent to protect Wilkins at multiple events, drawing concerns about resource diversion and potential delays in response to local emergencies.
- An FBI statement says Wilkins receives a protective detail because of credible death threats, while Patel’s spokesman maintains his transportation spending is comparable to predecessors and that security is warranted.
- Patel’s travel continues to draw scrutiny after government‑jet trips for personal reasons, including a Pennsylvania visit to see Wilkins and a Scotland golf outing, as public criticism intensified following his high‑profile Las Vegas Grand Prix appearance.