An Oklahoma man said he accidentally brought four rounds of ammo with him while vacationing in the Turks and Caicos Islands, but in doing so, he violated the British Territory's strict gun laws and could face a minimum of 12 years in prison.
Ryan Watson was arrested on April 12 as he was going through security for his return flight from the Caribbean. "They were hunting ammunition rounds that I use for white-tail deer and I recognized them and I thought, oh man, what a bonehead mistake. I had no idea that those were in there," he told NBC Boston.
Watson added that the Transportation Security Administration must have missed them when he passed through security for the flight to the islands. But none of that seemed to matter because the lawmakers in Turks and Caicos amended the country's gun laws in 2022 to stiffen penalties for "all persons" who violate them.
Tyler Watson, 40, was charged with one count of possession of ammo. Credit: Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force
Watson reportedly traveled to the islands with his wife to celebrate their 40th birthdays. When the ammo was found, however, both he and his wife were detained. His wife, Valerie Watson, has since been released from charges and returned to Oklahoma.
So far, the incident has garnered widespread media attention and even an emergency announcement from the U.S. Embassy in the Bahamas."Carefully check your luggage for stray ammunition or forgotten weapons before departing from the United States," the Embassy said in the announcement.
On a GoFundMe page, Watson's family called the situation "a nightmare scenario" as the couple have two young children and said that they have had "their lives turned upside down" because of the foreign justice system. So far, the page has raised more than $167,000 out of the $250,000 goal.
"Isolated from their family, friends, and children, they face mounting legal fees, living expenses, and the overwhelming stress of their situation. The emotional and financial toll is immense, and they are at risk of losing everything," wrote Jessica Byrd, who organized the GoFundMe page.
According to an announcement by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, Watson appeared before the court on April 24 and was granted a $15,000 bail, but he's not allowed out of the country, had to surrender his passport, and must check in with police twice a week until his next hearing on June 7.
