Why failure to check your bags before traveling to Turks & Caicos can get you jail time
Traveling to the sun-swept Turks and Caicos on vacation? You might want to double-check your luggage for ammo.
Five Americans visiting the British dependency this year are facing a mandatory 12 years in prison, charged with possession of ammunition after arriving in the popular tourist destination 600 miles southeast of Miami.
The latest arrest happened this week. The Royal Turks and Caicos Police said Orlando resident Sharitta Shinse Grier, 45, has been charged with one count of possession of ammunition after police discovered ammunition in her luggage on Monday during a routine search at the Howard Hamilton International Airport in Providenciales. Grier had a court appearance on Thursday and was remanded to another hearing on July 5th.
If convicted Grier, like the four other Americans, faces a mandatory prison sentence in the territory, which two years ago implemented tough gun-laws to curb a violent crime wave and opted to hold tourists to the same standard as locals.
The families of those arrested have pleaded for their release, and three U.S. governors this week asked for mercy on behalf of three of the men who said they did not intentionally take ammunition with them on vacation.
Governors Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, Josh Shapiro od Pennsylvania and Glenn Youngkin of Virginia sent a joint letter to the British-appointed governor of Turks & Caicos, Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam. The letter seeks the release of Ryan Watson of Oklahoma, Bryan Hagerich of Pennsylvania and Tyler Scott Wenrich of Virginia, and their expedited return to their families in the U.S. All three men have been charged with possession of ammunition.
Daniel-Selvaratnam has said that she cannot get involved.
In their correspondence, the U.S. governors note that none of the men were found with firearms and all three said the ammunition was left in their luggage by accident. In the case of Watson, both he and his wife Valerie were arrested after security found four rounds of ammunition in a bag from a deer hunting trip. Valerie Watson was eventually released and returned home.
Watson was given bail but is not allowed to leave the territory and has a hearing in June. In addition to the three men, 72-year-old Michael Lee Evans of Texas also faces prison over ammunition possession.
“We humbly ask that your government—in its wisdom—temper justice with mercy and recognize that these men made mistakes but had no apparent malicious intent,” the governors’ letter said.
In September, the U.S. State Department issued a security alert warning U.S. citizens traveling to the Turks and Caicos. The warning said that firearms, ammunition and other weapons are not permitted. Visitors were also warned that Turks and Caicos authorities strictly enforce all firearms-related laws, and the penalty for traveling to Turks and Caicos Islands with a firearm or ammunition or other weapon is a minimum sentence of 12 years.
Following the arrest of Hagerich and Watson, U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the department is aware of the arrests and is providing consular services.
Miller also noted that travelers shouldn’t be able to depart from a U.S airport with ammunition in the first place, “but we constantly update our travel alerts to make sure or to warn people that they are of course subject to local laws when they travel overseas.”
A spokesperson for the Transportation Security Administration said Friday the agency is still gathering information. The agency said travelers should be aware of the laws of the countries they are visiting and should make sure their luggage carries no ammunition.
“TSA takes its security mission very seriously and visitors should be aware ammunition is prohibited in carry-on bags and passengers are responsible for the contents of their luggage,” the spokesperson said. “We also strongly recommend that individuals do not bring their firing-range bags to the airport when they travel.”
The Turks and Caicos government has strongly advised visitors to the island-chain to check their luggage before they travel to the territory, which is wrestling with a violent wave of firearms-related deaths.
“The Turks and Caicos Islands reserves the right to enforce its laws and all persons (including visitors) must follow lawful process,” a statement issued from the government said.
