American detained, potentially facing 12 years in Caribbean prison for one forgotten item in luggage

Travelers to the Turks and Caicos Islands are finding that very small things in their luggage can result in very long prison sentences.

Tyler Wenrich, 30, of Virginia, was arrested April 20 after authorities said they found two bullets in his backpack as he was getting ready to leave, according to CBS.

All guns and ammunition are banned in Turks and Caicos. This year, the prison sentence for violating the law was extended to include tourists, who previously could pay a fine for the offense. The mandatory minimum sentence is 12 years.

“I feel like, as a very honest mistake, that 12 years is absurd,” Jeriann Wenrich, Tyler’s wife, said.

“My son’s only 18 months old, and I just don’t want to him to grow up without a dad,” she added.

Weinrich is not alone.

Ryan Watson, 40, was arrested April 12 after four bullets were found in a carry-on bag.

“I opened it up and kind of give it a little shimmy, didn’t see anything, didn’t hear anything,” he said.

“It was my mistake,” Ryan Watson said. “It was very innocent. And I just pray that, compassion and consideration, because there was zero criminal intent.”

“At some point, [airport security] extracted a baggie that had four hunting bullets that I use for deer hunting. And I was just as surprised as anybody else that they made that discovery,” Watson said, according to Fox News.

“I don’t recall ever putting those bullets in that bag. I can make an assumption that I used that bag on weekend trips and I had — back in November — used that bag … for my deer-hunting trip in Texas,” he said.

Watson said when he was told of the potential sentence, “I thought that was an intimidation tactic at first.”

Fox News estimated five other Americans face similar charges.

“Double check. Triple check. Quadruple check. Because … an innocent mistake like this now has … it’s affecting a lot of families,” Michael Wenrich, Tyler’s father, said.

Both men said they cleared TSA screening in the U.S. before they left.

“We had no intentions of ever bringing anything into this country. … It was just trying to pack board shorts and flip-flops, and that was all we were concerned about bringing,” Watson, who is out on bail but cannot return until his June 7 trial, said. “So … it never dawned on us to research any of these things. And there are a lot of locals that have been just such a blessing and have had such gracious hearts.”

In a statement to CBS, the Turks and Caicos government said that it “reserves the right to enforce its legislation and all visitors must follow its law enforcement procedures.”

The U.S. Embassy to the Bahamas has recently issued an advisory warning other travelers about the rules.

“Firearms, ammunition (including stray bullets), and other weapons are not permitted in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI).  TCI authorities strictly enforce all firearms-and-ammunition-related laws.  The penalty for traveling to TCI with a firearm, ammunition, or other weapon can result in a minimum custodial sentence of twelve (12) years,” the advisory said.

“If you bring a firearm or ammunition into TCI, even inadvertently, we will not be able to secure your release from custody.  You are subject to TCI laws and must follow local law enforcement procedures,” the advisory said.