- Ryan Watson was on vacation when he was charged with illegally transporting ammunition to the Turks and Caicos Islands.
- He and his wife, Valerie, claim the four bullets in their duffel bag were unknowingly left there during a hunting trip.
- Watson now faces 12 years in prison, alongside several American tourists accused of similar crimes.
An Oklahoma man traveling with his wife to the Caribbean territory of Turks and Caicos Islands faces 12 years in prison after four cartridges were found in his luggage.
Ryan and Valerie Watson arrived in the Turks and Caicos Islands earlier this month to celebrate his 40th anniversary with several other couples, their families said in a GoFundMe. NBC Boston reported that the Watsons arrived on April 7.
But the pair, who have two young children, were arrested in the self-governing British territory after airport security found the four bullets in their travel bag.
Their families’ GoFundMe said the ammunition was left in the bag unintentionally and came from a previous deer hunting trip.
“They were hunting the cartridges I use for white-tailed deer, and I recognized them and thought, ‘Oh, what a mistake.’ I didn’t know they were in there,” Ryan Watson told NBC News.
Valerie Watson was released from charges Tuesday and returned to Oklahoma to be reunited with her children.
But her husband remains in the Turks and Caicos Islands and was granted $15,000 bail the next day in the local Supreme Court, according to a police statement.
He now faces 12 years in prison, the minimum prison sentence for bringing firearms or ammunition into the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Ryan Watson must remain on the islands and report twice a week to a local police station while awaiting his hearing, set for June 7.
Meanwhile, his family is trying to raise $300,000 for legal fees and housing in the Caribbean.
“Isolated from family, friends and children, they face mounting legal fees, living expenses and the crushing stress of their situation,” the GoFundMe reads. “The emotional and financial toll is immense, and they risk losing everything.”
“We were trying to pack shorts and flip-flops,” Valerie Watson told CBS News. “Packing ammunition was not our intention at all.”
The Watsons did not immediately respond to an after-hours request for comment from Business Insider via their GoFundMe.
Eight American tourists prosecuted since February
It is illegal to bring firearms or ammunition into the Turks and Caicos Islands, and penalties apply regardless of the offender’s status or country of origin, according to the office of the local attorney general.
Several tourists targeted by the law were previously released with only a simple fine, while at least one was sentenced to less than the minimum prison term.
But in February, an appeals court ordered that all offenders be sentenced to at least the minimum term of 12 years in prison.
At least eight American tourists have since been prosecuted under the rule, according to the attorney general’s office.
Another American tourist, Tyler Wenrich, 31, was charged Tuesday with possession of ammunition after arriving in the Turks and Caicos Islands on a cruise ship, according to local police.
“While passing a security check, it was discovered that Mr. Wenrich may have had ammunition in his possession,” police said in a statement.
Amid the recent wave of tourist arrests, the US State Department issued an advisory in September warning US citizens that it would not be able to secure their release if they brought firearms and ammunition in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
“We strongly encourage you to carefully check your luggage for any lost ammunition or forgotten weapons before departing for TCI,” the notice states.
The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside of normal business hours by Business Insider.
Tourism is a key source of revenue for the Turks and Caicos Islands, and in 2019 it provided the territory with approximately $787 million, or 65% of the island’s GDP, according to a 2023 report from the Chamber of Commerce of the Commonwealth.
The Caribbean archipelago is a popular port of call for US cruise ships and saw a 127% increase in tourist arrivals this year – the largest increase in the world – compared to 2019, the Organization said United Nations World Tourism Organization. FEBRUARY.
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