NFL Team Jet Used in Military Missions to Controversial Site—What the Patriots Didn’t Tell You

When the New England Patriots’ Boeing 767 was seen landing in Guantánamo Bay, many fans expected a team-related mission or perhaps a humanitarian effort. Instead, public flight data revealed that the aircraft was being used to transport U.S. military personnel to and from one of the most controversial detention facilities in modern history—raising eyebrows and ethical concerns far beyond the football field.

Operated by Omni Air International, a charter company contracted by the Department of Defense, the plane—bearing the Patriots’ recognizable call sign—flew from Fort Worth, Texas, to Guantánamo Bay on April 28, before heading to Biggs Army Airfield in El Paso. The Patriots organization was quick to issue a statement clarifying that no detainees were on board and that they do not control how the planes are used when they are not transporting the team.

Anisha Chakrabarti, spokesperson for Kraft Sports and Entertainment, emphasized that the jets are often leased for Department of Defense travel and that the team has no involvement in the scheduling or use of the aircraft during military charters. But critics argue that the issue goes beyond logistics—it’s about optics and responsibility.

Angelina Godoy, director of the Center for Human Rights at the University of Washington, expressed concern over the association between a high-profile sports brand and a site long criticized for alleged human rights abuses. “We know that Guantánamo Bay continues to be used as an extra-judicial detention facility,” she said. “To see a branded plane like the Patriots’ involved—even tangentially—is troubling.”

The matter is further complicated by the public role of Josh Kraft, son of Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who is currently running for mayor of Boston. Critics argue that the family’s entanglements, even indirect, with controversial military operations could carry political consequences.

While the Patriots insist they are uninvolved in military logistics, the public nature of their aircraft’s movements suggests that some associations cannot be so easily distanced. And for a team known for its image management, this flight may have taken them into uncharted—and uncomfortable—territory.