Kash Patel's aircraft returns to Washington after Miami trip amid ongoing travel scrutiny

Kash Patel's aircraft, the DOJ-owned Gulfstream G550 (N708JH), was tracked departing Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport just after 10:16 p.m. local time on June 27 and touching down at Joint Base Andrews two hours later, according to flight data. The aircraft had been in the Miami area since at least the previous day, following earlier movements that included a stop in South Carolina.

If Patel was aboard, the return to Washington comes the same week House Judiciary Democrats formally requested all flight records and communications related to his use of the bureau's jet, accusing him of “commandeering U.S. government aircraft for personal joyrides,” per [The Hill](https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5629712-kash-patel-fbi-jet-house-judiciary-democrats/). The trip to Miami — a destination not among Patel's recurring stops — adds to a pattern of personal travel that has drawn scrutiny from both Democratic lawmakers and former FBI officials.

Patel has faced near-constant criticism over his travel since taking office, including a February trip to the Milan Olympics that overlapped with the gold-medal hockey game, as reported by [NPR](https://www.npr.org/2026/02/25/nx-s1-5726395/fbi-director-kash-patel-faces-scrutiny-over-travel-on-government-jet). Whistleblowers have alleged that his decisions about aircraft availability delayed FBI responses to the Brown University mass shooting and the Charlie Kirk assassination, claims the bureau has denied. The aircraft's latest movements suggest the debate over Patel's travel habits is far from grounded.