U.S. lawmakers visiting Turks & Caicos fail to secure release of arrested Americans

Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd and several members of Congress wrapped up a visit to the Turks and Caicos on Monday where five U.S. citizens, including an Orlando resident, are facing mandatory minimum 12-year prison sentences after ammunition was allegedly found in their luggage.

Delegation members were hoping to bring the Ameriocans home, but after discussions concluded U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma said that “despite our willingness to work with Turks and Caicos officials to get our constituents home, we were not able to find a path forward today.”

“We went in respectful of their sovereignty, and with an open mind looking to find common ground,” he added. “At this point, well-intentioned American citizens are facing a dozen years in prison all for unknowingly having one or two bullets in their luggage. The unintended consequences of TCI’s law have been at the expense of well-intentioned American tourists, including a grandmother, who had no intention of breaking the law.”

Mullin was one of two U.S. senators in the delegation, which also included three members of the House. Byrd was also accompanied by a representative of the State Department, Angela Kerwin, and the U.S. Embassy in Nassau, chargé d’affaires Jason Crosby. The lawmakers represented the five states where the individuals lived.

Should the U.S. citizens receive prison sentences, Mullin said, “we will need to consider additional actions to safeguard American citizens.”

The five Americans were charged with possession of firearms after police said they came across the ammunition during security screenings. Though ammunition is among the items prohibited by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration when traveling, the bullets apparently weren’t detected when the travelers departed from the United States.

In one case, four rounds of ammunition from a deer-hunting trip was found in a carry-on bag, left there accidentally, according to the sister-in-law of one of the men detained. Ryan Watson and his wife, Valerie, were both arrested after the ammunition was found in the bag Valerie was carrying. The Watsons were celebrating Ryan’s 40th birthday, along with other couples. Valerie was eventually released. A GoFundMe page seeking to raise $250,000 to bring her husband home has already garnered $229,726 with more than 3,000 donations.

The high-profile charges have plunged the British-dependent territory and its tough new firearms law into the global spotlight, with some critics calling for visitors to boycott the popular tourist destination located 600 miles southeast of Florida. Last week, U.S. governors Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Glenn Youngkin of Virginia sent a joint letter to the British-appointed governor of Turks & Caicos, Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam, seeking mercy for those arrested.

In the letter, the governors pleaded for the release of Watson of Oklahoma, Bryan Hagerich of Pennsylvania and Tyler Scott Wenrich of Virginia, and asked for the expedited return to their families in the United States. Also charged with possession of ammunition in the territory are Texas resident Michael Lee Evans and Floridian Sharitta Shinse Grier. Grier, 45, of Orlando, was arrested last week after police discovered ammunition in her luggage during a routine search at the Howard Hamilton International Airport in Providenciales. The Amercans are free on bail awaiting court appearances, but cannot leave the territory.

In a statement, the island’s press office emphasized the government’s stance, which was also reiterated ahead of the U.S. delegation’s visit. A representative from the United Kingdom, which has responsibility for the territory, was also present during the discussions.

“The governor and the premier confirmed they cannot intervene nor comment on ongoing legal cases before the courts,” the statement said. They explained that the Turks and Caicos Islands have clear laws prohibiting the possession of firearms and ammunition and strict penalties are”in place to serve and protect all who reside and visit the Turks and Caicos Islands.”

“When the court finds there are exceptional circumstances, the sentencing judge does have discretion, under the law, to impose a custodial sentence and a fine that are fair and just in the circumstances of each case rather than impose the mandatory minimum,” the statement went on to say.

Critics of the law say it is making criminals out of individuals who did not intentionally take ammunition with them on vacation.

Mullin said despite their lack of progress on Monday, he and others have no intentions on giving up.

“We will stay at the table through this process until this issue is resolved.”