American Tourist Found with Ammunition in Luggage Could Get Lengthy Jail Time

Ryan Watson and his wife Valerie as they arrive at the Howard Hamilton International Airport

Despite a cautionary US travel alert issued in September 2023, warning Americans about the stringent firearm and ammunition laws in Turks and Caicos, tourists from that country continue to find themselves ensnared in legal troubles ostensibly to inadvertent violations of local regulations.

One of the most recent cases is that of an Oklahoma man, Ryan Watson, who finds himself ensnared in a legal quagmire after ammunition was discovered in his luggage at the Howard Hamilton International Airport as he and his wife attempted to depart.

 The 40-year-old father now faces the daunting prospect of a 12-year prison sentence at her Majesty’s Prison, a stark contrast to the dropped charges against his wife, Valerie, who has since returned home to their children.

The ordeal began on April 11 when Ryan and Valerie Watson were arrested at the Howard Hamilton International Airport, allegedly after security personnel found four rounds of hunting ammunition in Ryan's carry-on bag. The couple maintains the ammunition was inadvertently left behind from a previous hunting trip, a claim corroborated by the discovery of a small bag of bullets in his luggage, which had gone unnoticed by American TSA during their departure.

Ryan, speaking to NBC, recounted his initial shock upon seeing the bullets, recognizing them from a recent hunting expedition. Despite their pleas of innocence and insistence on the accidental nature of the oversight, investigators from the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RTCIPF) remained steadfast in their prosecution, citing stringent laws enacted in 2022, mandating a minimum 12-year sentence for ammunition possession.

Valerie spent 11 days facing charges alongside her husband before her charges were dropped and she was permitted to return home to Oklahoma. The tearful reunion with her children captured on NBC, was a poignant moment, tempered by the uncertainty surrounding Ryan's case.

The couple's plight has garnered widespread sympathy and support in the United States, with prominent Oklahoma politicians, including Governor Kevin Stitt and Senator Markwayne Mullin, advocating for Ryan's release.

The Daily Mail, which also carried the story, said Governor Stitt penned a letter to Turks and Caicos officials, emphasizing Ryan's character as an avid outdoorsman and portraying the incident as an unintentional oversight rather than a deliberate transgression. 

NewslineTCI cannot confirm whether a lot a letter was sent.

The Daily Mail pointed out that despite the mounting support, Ryan's prolonged stay and legal expenses are taking a toll on the family both financially and emotionally.

It said a GoFundMe campaign has been launched to assist with the costs, reflecting the community's rallying behind the Watsons in their time of need.

Watson, who appeared in the TCI Supreme on Wednesday, April 24, before Tanya Lobban Jackson, was granted bail with one surety and ordered that he surrender his travel documents and report twice weekly to the Grace Bay police station in Providenciales. He was ordered to return to court on June 7, 2024.

Prosecutor Tessja Mitchell's decision not to oppose bail marked a significant development in the legal proceedings involving Watson.

His lawyer, King's Counsel Oliver Smith, expressed satisfaction with the Crown's cooperative stance. Watson, who had been in custody at the Providenciales police station for several days, made his court appearance clad in a formal blue suit, white shirt, and brown shoes.