Grace Bay on Turks and Caicos. VV Nincic Photo.
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Another American tourist was arrested at Howard Hamilton International Airport in Turks and Caicos on Monday after ammunition was allegedly found in their luggage during a routine security check, according to the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police and Breitbart. This latest arrest brings the total number of Americans facing charges for ammunition possession in the British territory to five.

The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police did not disclose the name or gender of the person arrested, but NBC 10 Boston reported that the tourist was a woman. This arrest occurred as U.S. tourist Tyler Wenrich was in court facing similar charges. Wenrich was detained on April 20 after Royal Caribbean security discovered two bullets in his bag when he reboarded the ship following a day excursion on Grand Turk.

Wenrich’s case is progressing quickly. His father reported that the judge had received an expedited timeline for the case from the chief justice, with written arguments due within seven days and oral arguments and a plea hearing set for next Tuesday. Sentencing could occur by May 28.

Three other American men, Michael Lee Evans of Texas, Bryan Hagerich of Pennsylvania, and Ryan Watson of Oklahoma, are also facing charges for possessing ammunition in Turks and Caicos. Evans was arrested in December, Hagerich in February and Watson in early April. Each has claimed the ammunition was brought into the country by mistake.

The penalties under Turks and Caicos’ strict guns and ammunition laws are severe, with the potential for 12-year prison sentences, though judges can consider exceptional circumstances. All five detained Americans insist the incidents were innocent mistakes, yet the legal system in Turks and Caicos is treating these cases with utmost seriousness.

For U.S. travelers, this series of arrests underscores the critical importance of thoroughly checking luggage for prohibited items before flying to foreign destinations or avoiding foreign destinations altogether.

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34 COMMENTS

  1. Golly it seems pretty simple to not bring ammo into T & C. Have you chit together(and yer ammo)when you travel. Oh and boycott Turks and Caicos🙄They are literally biting the dumb American’s hand’s that are feeding them.

  2. Been there several times 40 years ago; but, I am not going back.
    Best policy, do not use an ammo/gun bag for a luggage bag/suitcase when traveling.
    Beautiful place but not that beautiful!

    • Pretty simple solution. Just don’t take ammo to a foreign country. Period. Having traveled internationally several times knowing the laws of the country you are going to is imperative. Also don’t use your travel luggage as a range bag or to store firearms/ammo.

  3. A few thoughts

    1. F*ck the tyrants of the T&C, and their British overlords. They are violating the basic right of self defense (and shouldn’t since all creation is under the dominion of Christ). They are also evil to apply such extreme punishment for extremely mild infractions (of a fundamentally unjust law).

    2. People need to be much more careful about stuff like this.

    3. Why the hell did the Royal Caribbean workers turn Tyler Wenrich over to the T&C police? They could have just taken the two rounds of ammo away from Wenrich and tossed them in the trash. Everyone knows it was an honest mistake. Royal Caribbean bears some responsibility for this mess.

    They

    • “Why the hell did the Royal Caribbean workers turn Tyler Wenrich over to the T&C police? They could have just taken the two rounds of ammo away from Wenrich and tossed them in the trash. Everyone knows it was an honest mistake. Royal Caribbean bears some responsibility for this mess.”

      Royal Caribbean bears no responsibility for Tyler Wenrich’s conduct. Royal Caribbean was not going to risk it’s business by tossing evidence of a crime into the trash or be complicit in a crime.

      That’s how the real world works.

      • Royal Caribbean does bear some responsibility because they failed to find the ammo when he originally boarded here in the USA.

        You fail to understand that the government of the T&C has no authority to make such an unjust and wicked law, with such cruel and excessive punishments. This is known as tyranny. Sentencing someone to twelve years in prison for accidentally posessing a single round of ammo is unjust and wicked. It is an abomination before the Creator of Heaven and Earth. Earthly governments are not absolute sovereigns, they are servants of the One True Sovereign (see Romans 13). They are required to do justice, and promote good, not evil.

        That’s how the real world works.

        • “When in Rome do as the Romans”. When you leave the US for the most part you leave your US rights behind. That’s how the real world works, get out more often buddy.

        • Are you seriously suggesting that it would be a good thing for a cruise company to SEARCH YOUR LUGGAGE?
          If so, may I please suggest to you that you take some personal responsibility? If you can’t remember where your guns and ammo are, you should not have guns and ammo.

    • Why didn’t they just toss them into the ocean in international waters or something?

      Why didn’t they find them when he first boarded is another great question.

      Remind me not to do Royal Caribbean or T&C.

      • “Why didn’t they find them when he first boarded is another great question. Remind me not to do Royal Caribbean or T&C..”

        Are you saying that you will only do business with travel providers who search your luggage? Could be embarrassing, depending on your medical needs and personal proclivities.

  4. They take 5 of ours over nothing we take 10 of theirs over nothing…don’t hold your breath for that to happen with Jim Crow Gun Control democRat joe and his ilk.

    TRUMP 2024.

  5. Is this a recent trend or has it been happening all along and now we’re just hearing about it?

    • It has been happening the difference is before it was simply a fine and confiscation of the offending ammo/firearms. Recently the Turks and Caicos passed a law due to increased gun violence making it a mandatory 12 year prison sentence.

      • Ah yes, the old tried-and-true tactic of making gang-bangers grow a conscience by throwing unsuspecting vacationers in prison on a technicality. I’m sure this time it will work.

        • It has nothing to do with growing a conscience as Evil people have non3. It does give the nation a stricter law for putting them away longer as liberal/progressive democrat prosecutors haven’t destroyed their judicial system. Like in our country. So stop whining and making excuses because other people can’t be responsible for their own actions. That get them arrested. Makes me wonder if you are one of those Liberal/Progressive democrats that do so in our country.

  6. Brittney Griner was convicted of deliberately smuggling drugs into Russia and sentenced to nine years of jail time. The Biden admin complained about it continually and pulled out all the stops to get her out and returned to the U.S. trading violent high value Viktor Bout a Russian arms dealer for her.

    Some person on vacation in Turks and Caicos’ accidentally left some ammo in baggage and can go to prison for 10 years – not a word from the Biden admin.

    • No gay privilege

      Just another gun owner who was “eliminated” from the list.

      • Gun owning, married, heterosexual, white, male, father, from Oklahoma, probably a Christian too

        The Biden administration hates him with the burning heat of a thousand suns

  7. I’m thinking about this, maybe just deport these people and bar them from T&C? Just a thought.

  8. Ammunition without a firearm is pretty useless, and the severity of the crime thus should be seriously diminished.

    • Tell that to the Mexican authorities or any of a hundred different countries if you travel there with ammo in your luggage.

  9. Reads like a set up IMO, toss a couple of rounds into someones luggage,,, low & behold look what we found. I’ve read stories out of Jersey that mimics these incidents.

  10. I have bags marked: Travel Only. Spending a few on extra bags seems like a fairly small price.

    • What is this personal responsibility and planning ahead of which you speak?

Comments are closed.