Unexpected Turn of Events for Oklahoma Couple's Vacation
Valerie Watson returned to Oklahoma City's Will Rogers World Airport in tears on Tuesday morning in a drastic departure from how she imagined her long weekend trip to Turks and Caicos would end.
Watson is home, but her husband, Ryan Watson, is in jail on the island and facing a potential mandatory minimum sentence of 12 years behind bars after airport security allegedly found four rounds of hunting ammo in his carry-on bag earlier this month.
"We were trying to pack board shorts and flip flops," Valerie Watson told CBS News. "Packing ammunition was not at all our intent."
Valerie Watson, who learned Sunday she would not be charged and would be allowed to return home, said the trip "went from what was supposed to be a dream vacation to a nightmare."
The Watsons are not the only ones going through this ordeal.
Bryan Hagerich is awaiting trial after ammo was found in the Pennsylvania man's checked bag in February.
"The past 70 days have been like a roller coaster, filled with pain and suffering as I have been separated from my family at home," Hagerich shared. "I subsequently spent eight nights in their local jail. Some of the darkest, hardest times of my life, quite frankly."
In Turks and Caicos, it is illegal to possess a gun or ammunition, and tourists were previously able to pay a fine for violations. However, a court order in February changed this, mandating prison time even for tourists leaving the country.
Since November 2022, there have been a total of eight firearms and ammunition prosecutions involving tourists from the United States. Currently, three cases are before the court, with each defendant out on bail.
Last year, Michael Grim from Indiana pleaded guilty to accidentally having ammunition in his checked bag. Despite the judge acknowledging "exceptional circumstances," Grim served nearly six months in prison.
"Living conditions were harsh with no clean running water, constant exposure to the environment, and the threat of mosquitoes and tropical illnesses," Grim shared with CBS News. "There were also some hostile individuals in the prison."
Grim believes his sentencing was influenced by his nationality, as he stated, "[His] sentencing was completely predicated on the fact that I was an American."
In response to such cases, the U.S. embassy issued a travel alert last September, advising travelers to "check your luggage for stray ammunition" and warning that they would not be able to facilitate their release from custody.
In a communication, a representative from the State Department informed CBS News, stating, "Upon learning of the detention of U.S. citizens in Turks and Caicos, we are prepared to offer all necessary consular support. U.S. citizens must adhere to the laws of the foreign country they are in, even if they differ from those of the United States."
During the previous year, TSA discovered a record-breaking 6,737 firearms at airport security checkpoints, with the majority of them being loaded.
"I cannot even fathom the idea that this innocent, regrettable mistake could hinder me from witnessing my son's graduation, teaching him how to shave, or accompanying my daughter to dances," expressed Ryan Watson. "It's beyond comprehension. I am unable to process it."
The government of Turks and Caicos issued a detailed response to CBS News, confirming the law and emphasizing that, even if mitigating circumstances are identified, the judge is obligated to impose a prison sentence.
