Public Service Announcement: DO NOT travel internationally without THOROUGHLY searching your property first!

[Glocktogo]

This is only about the third case from Oklahoma that I've seen, but it's a really bad one.

American tourist facing a mandatory 12 years in prison in Turks & Caicos over ammo in luggage.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/american-tourist-facing-prison-turks-001908674.html

Valerie Watson returned to Oklahoma City's Will Rogers World Airport in tears on Tuesday morning in a drastic departure from how she imagined her long weekend trip to Turks and Caicos would end.

Watson is home, but her husband, Ryan Watson, is in jail on the island and facing a potential mandatory minimum sentence of 12 years behind bars after airport security allegedly found four rounds of hunting ammo in his carry-on bag earlier this month.

"We were trying to pack board shorts and flip flops," Valerie Watson told CBS News. "Packing ammunition was not at all our intent."

Valerie Watson, who learned Sunday she would not be charged and would be allowed to return home, said the trip "went from what was supposed to be a dream vacation to a nightmare."

The Watsons are not the only ones going through this ordeal.

Bryan Hagerich is awaiting trial after ammo was found in the Pennsylvania man's checked bag in February.

"I subsequently spent eight nights in their local jail. Some of the darkest, hardest times of my life, quite frankly," Hagerich said. "These last 70 days have been kind of a roller coaster, just the pain and suffering of having your family at home and I'm here."

Possessing a gun or ammunition is prohibited in Turks and Caicos, but tourists were previously often able to just pay a fine. In February, however, a court order mandated that even tourists in the process of leaving the country are subject to prison time.

Since November 2022, eight firearms and ammunition prosecutions in total have been brought involving tourists from the United States, three of which are currently before the court with each of the defendants on bail.

Last year, a judge found Michael Grim from Indiana had "exceptional circumstances" when he pleaded guilty to accidentally having ammunition in his checked bag. He served almost six months in prison.

"No clean running water. You're kind of exposed to the environment 24/7," he told CBS News. "Mosquitoes and tropical illnesses are a real concern. There's some hostile actors in the prison."

The judge was hoping to send a message to other Americans.

"[His] sentencing was completely predicated on the fact that I was an American," Grim said.

The U.S. embassy last September posted a travel alert online, warning people to "check your luggage for stray ammunition," noting it would "not be able to secure your release from custody."

In a statement, a State Department spokesperson told CBS News, "We are aware of the arrest of U.S. citizens in Turks and Caicos. When a U.S. citizen is arrested overseas, we stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance. In a foreign country, U.S. citizens are subject to that country's laws, even if they differ from those in the United States."

Last year, TSA found a record 6,737 guns at airport security checkpoints, and most of them were loaded.

"I can't even begin to think that this very innocent, regrettable mistake would prevent me from being able to watch my son graduate or teach him to shave or take my daughter to dances," Ryan Watson said. "It's just unfathomable. I do not — I can't process it."

The Turks and Caicos government responded to CBS News in a lengthy statement confirming the law and reiterating that, even if extenuating circumstances are found to be present, the judge is required to mandate prison time.

In both of the previous cases I encountered, the US State Dept. was completely useless, so choose your international destinations and which bags you pack VERY carefully!

 

[Rez Exelon]

IIRC Cayman doesn't joke around either. The case I think I heard about was a 5 figure fine for a round of 9mm. This is why I had dedicated luggage for travel through airports versus travel to the range.

 

[trekrok]

Half the country is probably supportive of their sentences.

 

[Mr.Glock]

Why would we allow this ******** to go on? **** em, tell them let them go or we come in. Then they can shut down any American from visiting and lose the tourist money.

 

[donner]

Why would we allow this ******** to go on? **** em, tell them let them go or we come in. Then they can shut down any American from visiting and lose the tourist money.

i feel for the guy, but he broke the law of another country (even if inadvertent). If we expect visitors here to follow our laws, why would we send anyone 'in' to get this guy?

Would we do the same against mexico, or canada, or china or russia? Would we allow another country to tell us how to enforce our laws in such a situation?

wasn't there an american who was sentenced to be caned in singapore in the 90s for violating one of their laws?

 

[TANSTAAFL]

Yeah, I doubt our state department will be much help if any. However I do hear if you are part of a special group of people and are caught with a certain type of herbal substance in russia the president and his staff will do anything to get you back, including the return of russian people engaged in the act of espionage to russia.

 

[DavidMcmillan]

Maybe we could learn something from these other countries....Like maybe if you are found to have violated a law, such as illegal entry.....

 

[ssgrock3]

I get nervous flying with a bag that has ever had guns or ammo for fear of the residue test they do.

 

[RETOKSQUID]

If we wanted to play ball, we could round up everyone from Turks and Caicos for any (stupid) violation of our laws and offer a 1 for 1 trade. BUT, since it would be a pro 2A move on this administraion's part, there ain’t a chance in hell that will ever happen.


Also, like others have stated, if you are going to visit another country, you had better damn well make sure you follow their laws to the letter. So many people think that "hey I am American, you can't do anything to me", when they go out of the country only to find out that just about every country in the world is waiting for some tourist from the USA to screw up so they can nail them to the wall for violations of their laws.

 

[DavidMcmillan]

Several years ago, I got a call while driving to work, telling me that I needed to fly to St. Louis that morning. As soon as I got in my office, I made a reservation, and headed for the airport. No problem leaving Tulsa, but that afternoon while leaving STL, TSA scan shows a blade in my briefcase. I had put it in the previous evening to give to an employee that was going to make some nice elk scales for it. Didn't involve LE, but I did lose the blade.

Didn't Barry Switzer have a little gun issue here some time ago? It can happen...