(NewsWorthy.news) – Three U.S. governors have pressured Turks and Caicos Islands to release three American citizens who were arrested for allegedly violating the country’s firearm laws.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro sent a letter to the islands’ Governor Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam requesting the release of Tyler Wenrich of Virginia, Ryan Watson of Oklahoma, and Bryan Hagerich of Pennsylvania, who could face a prison sentence of 12 years. The sentence was recently set by the U.K. overseas territory regarding tourists who are found to be carrying ammunition in their luggage.
Arrests of tourists who have kept ammunition in their luggage are becoming increasingly common on the islands; by mid-May 2024 five Americans had been arrested since February over bullets found in airport security checks. Turks and Caicos police said that one American was apprehended following a “routine security check” at the Howard Hamilton International Airport. All of those arrested are reportedly unrelated.
Stitt told reporters that there was no criminal intent to harm anybody and that the travelers were only trying to leave the country. The Republican added that there were “no guns”. Watson, who is a father of two, is stuck on the island as he awaits his court hearing. The 40-year-old stated that his ammo had been left in his bag from a previous hunting trip. Hagerich, a father of two and a former professional baseball player, is in the same situation waiting three weeks for his trial. Wenrich, who has a son, is due a hearing on May 21. The islands’ government released a statement in April suggesting that it could be possible to impose a less severe custodial sentence in “exceptional” cases. The governors sent a joint statement asking for mercy, arguing that there was no malicious intent on the part of the travelers and that honest mistakes were made.
Stitt knows Watson personally due to his children attending a school where Watson’s wife works as a teacher. The Republican argued that the strict laws and arrests could deter American tourists from the islands in the future and harm their economy. The U.S. embassy in the Bahamas warned Americans in September 2023 to follow the country’s laws and keep in mind that guns and ammunition were prohibited on the islands. The warning stressed that declaring a firearm in one’s luggage would still result in arrest, and that American citizens needed to check their bags carefully for any stray ammunition.
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