The governors of Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Virginia have written a letter to the governor of Turks and Caicos Islands to request the release of three American citizens who were recently arrested for violating the country’s firearm laws. The minimum prison sentence for tourists caught with stray ammunition in their luggage in Turks and Caicos is 12 years, and the three Americans facing this fate are Ryan Watson of Oklahoma, Tyler Wenrich of Virginia, and Bryan Hagerich of Pennsylvania. These individuals were not intentionally trying to harm anyone and were unaware that they had ammunition in their luggage when leaving the country.
Ryan Watson, a 40-year-old father of two from Oklahoma, was arrested on April 12 for having ammunition in his bag and is currently awaiting his court hearings on the island. His family’s situation has become dire, with his wife now acting as a single mother to their children. The governors are concerned that the recent arrests of Americans with stray ammunition in their bags will deter future travelers and negatively impact the economy of Turks and Caicos, as many working Americans save up their money to vacation there.
The governors have reached out to the Turks and Caicos government to reconsider the charges filed against the three Americans and expedite their release back to their families as soon as possible. They acknowledge the importance of upholding laws and regulations but are asking for the government to show mercy considering that the men made unintentional mistakes with no malicious intent. Bryan Hagerich, a former pro baseball player from Pennsylvania, has expressed the emotional toll of being separated from his family due to his arrest on the islands.
Tyler Wenrich, a father from Virginia, has a plea hearing scheduled for May 21. The Americans must prove that their arrests were under exceptional circumstances, such as having no prior criminal record and no intention of bringing ammunition into the airport. They argue that the 12-year sentence would be excessive in their cases, as they unknowingly had ammunition in their bags, which were only discovered by Turks and Caicos security. The government of Turks and Caicos has strict penalties in place against the possession of firearms and ammunition, with a mandatory minimum custodial sentence of 12 years plus a fine.
The State Department has issued a warning to Americans about the risks of carrying ammunition in their luggage when traveling to other countries. The Americans detained in Turks and Caicos are urging the State Department to get involved and put pressure on the government there to resolve the situation. The governors and other officials are working to assist the detained individuals and appeal for their release to be expedited, emphasizing that they did not have any malicious intent and were unaware of the ammunition in their luggage.
