- A fifth American tourist was arrested in Turks and Caicos for possessing ammunition.
- Two have already pleaded guilty, and others have said they forgot they had the bullets in their bags.
- The incidents have prompted the State Department to issue a reminder not to fly with ammo.
A fifth American tourist has been arrested on suspicion of possession of ammunition in a small Caribbean territory, CBS News reported.
The Royal Turks and Caicos Police told CBS the unnamed person was arrested at the airport on Monday, “after ammunition was allegedly found during a routine security check.”
Such arrests have been making local headlines in Turks and Caicos, a British Overseas Territory with a population of around 50,000. Breaking its strict laws about possessing a firearm or ammunition carries a minimum prison sentence of 12 years.
www.businessinsider.com/americans-keep-getting-arrested-on-caribbean-island-for-carrying-ammo-2024-5
Another U.S. tourist was arrested for carrying ammunition in luggage at the Turks and Caicos airport on Monday, weeks after the arrest of an American tourist in the Caribbean territory made national headlines.
The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police told CBS News that “a visitor was arrested at the Howard Hamilton International Airport yesterday [May 13th] after ammunition was allegedly found during a routine security check.” Police did not provide further details about the name or gender of the person arrested.
Monday’s arrest brought the total number of Americans facing charges for ammunition possession in the British territory to five. Four of the detained Americans have said they brought in the ammunition – but by mistake.
Ryan Watson, a 40-year-old Oklahoma father of two, made national headlines after ammo was found in his luggage by airport security in April. He is currently out on bail – though confined to the island while his case moves forward – and officials require him to check in at the Grace Bay Police Station every Tuesday and Thursday. He faces a possible mandatory minimum 12-year prison term.
Just days after Watson’s arrest, 30-year-old Tyler Wenrich, a Virginia EMT and father, was detained before boarding a cruise ship on April 20th. He faces a possible 12-year sentence after officials allegedly found two bullets in his luggage last month.
www.cbsnews.com/news/another-american-detained-turks-and-caicos-airport-ammunition-luggage/
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Wednesday sent a letter to Turks and Caicos Islands Gov. Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam, asking her to release three Americans who were recently arrested under the country’s firearm laws.
Turks and Caicos recently set the minimum prison sentence for tourists caught with stray ammunition in their luggage to 12 years, and three Americans — including Ryan Watson of Oklahoma, Tyler Wenrich of Virginia and Bryan Hagerich of Pennsylvania — now face that fate. Five Americans in total have been arrested since February, the latest being a Florida woman who was detained on Monday for having ammo in her bag, according to Gov. Sitt’s office.
“This makes no sense whatsoever. This punishment does not fit the crime,” Stitt, a Republican, told Fox News Digital. “These people were leaving the country. There was no intent. They weren’t trying to harm anybody. They weren’t using guns. Let me make sure everybody knows: there were no guns.”
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Watson, a 40-year-old father of two, was arrested on April 12 for having ammo in his bag and currently remains on the island awaiting his court hearings. He previously told Fox News Digital that he had the ammo in his bag from a prior hunting trip.
www.foxnews.com/us/3-us-governors-ask-turks-caicos-release-americans-detained-ammo
h/t Digital mix guy Spock