An Oklahoma man has been detained after authorities in the Turks and Caicos islands discovered a small amount of deer cartridges in his luggage.
Arriving in the picturesque Caribbean islands, Ryan Watson was ready to kick off a fun week in celebration of his 40th birthday. Watson, accompanied by his wife and two close friends, arrived in search of a sun soaked good time, but instead found themselves embroiled in a heap of trouble.
After a quick look inside Watsons carry-on luggage, authorities discovered a ziploc bag containing a few rounds of ammunition. Immediately recognizing the bonehead mistake of traveling abroad with live rounds, Watson went on to explain that the cartridges were accidentally left in the bag after a hunting trip last fall.
Despite the good back story, authorities detained the hunter and his wife, citing the territory’s strict laws surrounding guns and ammunition.
“They were hunting ammunition rounds that I use for whitetail deer,” Watson said. “I recognized them and thought, ‘Oh man, what a bonehead mistake.’”
Their passports were seized and the pair were detained until Watson’s wife, Valerie, was released during last week’s initial court hearing. She was later able to return to the United States, but Watson remains on the island as he awaits his fate, which could include upwards of 12 years in prison.
His next court appearance is scheduled for June 7th, and until then, he is unable to leave the island.
The US embassy in the Bahamas issued a travel alert last fall about the possibility of this type of incident after new gun laws were introduced in the Turks and Caicos in 2022. As of then, the law states that no one other than law enforcement is able to possess or acquire firearms or ammunition.
“We strongly encourage you to carefully check your luggage for stray ammunition or forgotten weapons before departing for TCI,” the Embassy’s statement read. “If you bring a firearm or ammunition into TCI, we will not be able to secure your release from custody. You are subject to TCI laws and must follow local law enforcement procedures.”
