Another American tourist was arrested Monday for carrying ammunition in luggage at Turks and Caicos Airport, weeks after the arrest of an American tourist in the Caribbean made national headlines.
Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police told CBS News that “a visitor was arrested yesterday at Howard Hamilton International Airport [May 13th] after ammunition was reportedly found during a routine security check.” Police did not provide any further details on the name or gender of the person arrested.
Monday’s arrest raised the total number Americans are being sued for possession of ammunition on British territory up to five. Four of the detained Americans have said they brought in the ammunition — but by accident.
Ryan Watson, a 40-year-old father of two from Oklahoma, made national headlines after ammunition was found in his luggage by airport security in April. He is currently out on bail – although incarcerated on the island while his case continues – and officials require him to report to the Grace Bay police station every Tuesday and Thursday. He faces a possible mandatory prison sentence of at least twelve years.
Just days after Watson’s arrest, 30-year-old Tyler Wenrich, an EMT and father from Virginia, was arrested before boarding a cruise ship on April 20. He faces a possible 12-year prison sentence after officials reportedly found two bullets in his luggage last month.
“I feel, as a very honest mistake, that 12 years is absurd,” his wife, Jeriann Wenrich, told CBS News in April. who said she doesn’t want to see her 18-month-old son grow up without a father.
Bryan Hagerich is another American awaiting trial after ammunition was found in the Pennsylvania man’s checked bag in February. “I then spent eight nights in their local jail,” Hagerich told CBS News. “One of the darkest and hardest times of my life, honestly.”
Possession of a firearm or ammunition is prohibited in Turks and Caicos, but tourists could previously simply pay a fine. That changed in February when a court order even required tourists to face a mandatory prison sentence in addition to paying a fine. The territory’s attorney general has said that if a court finds that there are exceptional circumstances surrounding the discovery of ammunition, the judge will have the discretion to impose a custodial sentence of less than twelve years.
Since November 2022, eight firearms and ammunition prosecutions involving tourists from the United States have been brought to the island.
The U.S. Department of State issued a travel advisory in April urging Americans traveling to Turks and Caicos to “carefully check your luggage for stray ammunition or forgotten weapons before leaving the United States,” noting that ” Declaring a weapon in your luggage to an airline does not grant permission to bring the weapon into the Turks and Caicos Islands and will result in your arrest.”
“American gun owners may want to consider the actions of the Turks and Caicos Islands before risking a trip to the Caribbean jurisdiction,” the National Rifle Association said in a news release Monday. “Even American gun owners who are confident in their ability to clear their luggage of possible contraband may want to consider the wisdom of spending their money in a jurisdiction that would treat their fellow countrymen in such a manner.”
—Elizabeth Campbell, Kris Van Cleave and Alex Sundby contributed reporting.
