Turks and Caicos: US tourist faces up to 12 years in prison

COCKBURN TOWN: A United States (US) citizen Ryan Watson is facing up to 12 years in prison for carrying firearms in their luggage while vacationing in Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) on Wednesday.

According to sources, the man was accompanied by his wife Valerie Watson and children as the family was vacationing in the resort islands to celebrate Ryan’s 40th birthday.

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The couple had brought the firearms on their trip and the island authorities found it in their luggage. The couple was then arrested and separated from their children.

The man now faces a potential twelve-year prison sentence.

Ryan Watson was arrested as the family was returning home from their vacation. The airport authorities discovered a plastic bag containing bullets in their luggage. This led to the airport authorities immediately arresting the couple and confiscating their passports.

While the couple pleads the case an an “innocent mistake”, the Turks and Caicos authorities refuse to relent.

The wife was soon reunited with her children later as charges against her were dropped. She recounted the details to media as harrowing, with fear for her family’s safety and the separation from her children.

While the wife can return to the United States with her children, her husband is still detained and will eventually face legal proceedings.

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The US embassy has previously warned US tourists against bringing firearms to the island.

The Turks and Caicos Islands come under the British overseas territory and is situated in the Atlantic ocean. The islands are famous as a tourist resort, mostly receiving tourists from the US and Canada. The islands are also famous as an offshore finance haven.

TCI consists mostly of the larger Caicos Islands and smaller Turks Islands. They boast a population of around 59,367. The islands’ capital is the located on the main “Grand Turk” island. The islands’ indigenous people are the Taíno people.

The islands were first sighted by European explorers in the 16th century and was would eventually be controlled by the British Empire. It would not be till 1973 when the islands would become an autonomous territory.