In an unusual move, the Second Amendment Foundation has issued a travel advisory to U.S. gun owners, telling them to avoid travel to the Turks and Caicos islands, a popular vacation spot southeast of the Bahamas.
The alert came after published reports revealed a U.S. citizen from Oklahoma has been arrested and detained by authorities because he had apparently and unknowingly left four cartridges in a piece of luggage from an earlier deer hunting trip. According to Fox News, Ryan and Valerie Watson had been on vacation and were preparing to fly home April 12 when they were arrested at the airport. Watson now faces up to 12 years in prison, the report said.
The SAF advisory notes, “Since November 2022, at least eight American tourists have faced “firearms prosecutions” for inadvertently having ammunition in their luggage. In the past, tourists had been able to pay a fine, but as of a judge’s ruling in February of this year, violators are subject to severe prison time.
“Firearms and ammunition are strictly forbidden in Turks and Caicos,” the SAF alert adds. “The U.S. Embassy in the Bahamas last September issued this warning to travelers: “Firearms, ammunition, and other weapons are not permitted in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI). TCI authorities strictly enforce all firearms related laws. The penalty for traveling to TCI with a firearm, ammunition, or other weapon is a minimum custodial sentence of twelve (12) years.”
The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory. They do not recognize Second Amendment rights of U.S. citizens.
Fox said Valerie Watson had been released from jail earlier this week. Ryan Watson has been granted $15,000 bail but he may not travel outside of the islands without the court’s permission, Fox noted. He has reportedly surrendered his passport and is staying at a specific location. He must also report twice weekly to a police station. A court hearing is scheduled in June.
