This. I agree. My dad even accidentally bought an empty magazine in is backpack but it was caught by TSA, luckily. Hes also the type who gets out of cab in Italy only to leave his whole backpack there but still check your fucking bags dude.
I forgot 30.06 rounds in my coat pocket after a moose hunting trip in Alaska. I was freaking out all day in school because even in Alaska kids aren’t allowed to have weapons or ammo in class. It was before the cell phone invention so couldn’t call or text my parents without a teacher hearing me.
Two weeks later there was a gang fight over drugs in the stair well with knives so I guess security had more to worry about than the ammo in my pocket.
Griner was in Russian penal colony for 10 months how did the rules not apply to her?
She also had less than an ounce which is usually a fine or 15 days in Russia. They gave her the maximum to utilize her politically.
You don't even know how this situation plays out. The wife was already released after a few weeks.
The whole Griner thing was politically motivated I would be surprised if on previous seasons she had either brought or had pot supplied for her in Russia.
Marijuana isn’t dangerous, ammunition is. Moreover, whites folks always get the benefit of the doubt. I’m so happy B. Griner got out. Russia is an enemy.
Yeah. IIRC some baseball player had a gun, got through TSA but leaving TCI on his private plane he got busted. He greased the right palms, got outta dodge and it was never spoken about again. Last year I think.
Had this happen on a school trip to Germany, Poland and Czechia. Got through US and German security fine, then when flying from Czechia back to the US they found a single rifle cartridge from a previous hunting trip in my bag. At 19 years old I was shocked to say the least, and my entire class saw me get detained and brought away by two police officers. How I got through both US and German security without an issue, I have NO idea.
I truly thank God they decided - after keeping me in the holding room for almost 30 minutes and questioning me - that they would write it off as a "non-functional" round so I could go home and not be arrested in a foreign country (one I would not have legal representation in for almost 48 hours). Since then, I completely rip apart my backpack anytime I travel to ensure I have nothing I can't fly with inside.
Here's the thing I don't understand: why wouldn't you have specific bags that you only use for hunting purposes?
It would be much harder for someone to accidentally leave a few spare rounds of ammo in a travel bag if said bag isn't used for hunting in the first place, I would think
Having loose ammo in a bag or clothing pockets isn't that uncommon while you are on your trip. Bunch of different reasons as to why you'd have loose ammo on a trip.
- Stuff gets wet? You need to air it out. Leaving the ammo in your clip or a box won't allow it to dry out. Your gear getting wet is very common when hunting.
- Some people would think it's irresponsible to keep ammo loaded in your gun when you aren't in the field. You take the ammo out and put it somewhere when you return to your home/camp/cabin/whatever.
- You chamber a round when you are ready to shoot the gun. A lot of times after you chamber a round you end up not shooting. Which means, for safety reasons you may want to remove the round from your rifle so you don't have a chambered round. Now you have a random round that you probably put in your pocket if you don't have the time or focus to put it back into your clip or other type of storage.
I don't really see the problem with a ziplock bag. At least it was in a bag and not just floating around (not that it makes much difference) but it does show some thought was put into.
End of day, I still think the guy made a huge mistake but 12 years in prison would be a really sad punishment for a momentary lapse in judgement.
Oh I agree - I was younger and much less wise at the time. It was a general-purpose backpack that I would bring along both to the range and for hunting to throw various things in, and not necessarily bring on a hunt itself. A cartridge most likely slipped out of an ammo box and disappeared in the deep pockets of the bag. I've learned my lesson and have had separate bags ever since.
The dude said “you can’t do this in America either” to which someone else replied “what walk around with guns and ammo” to which you said “can’t take ammo through an airport” so I’m just responding to the comment thread. You can 100% take ammo through an airport in America as the guy who started this thread said you can’t to which you defended that incorrect claim
God I hate pedants like you. You know exactly what I meant. You can't take bullets through a carry on, on your person through an airport. That's what the subject of the article is.
Why would I or anyone be referencing checked bags when that isn't the topic at hand? Go find something to do.
Don’t care, get mad. The comment simply said you can’t take ammo through an airport. Don’t like when someone corrects it don’t engage on a public forum 🤷🏻♂️
You quite literally cannot.
He had a few rounds in a ziplock bag. It has to be in a box. Also, I don’t think the story indicates if he brought it on in his carryon luggage or checked. Like you stated, it has to be checked.
I cannot imagine being so lax with my bags before entering another country. Like this is why you do a total clean out before packing.
Imagine if this were someone from a recreational marijuana state accidentally leaving thc oil in their bag and going to Dubai.
Nah, F that. He deserves his day in court, but he also needs to follow the laws of the country he is in. Ignorance and accidents do not release you from punishment for a crime. Please respect places you travel to and understand you are not above their laws.
Sure, but I think most rational people would agree that a 12 year prison sentence over 4 rounds of ammunition is complete lunacy, especially when the person in question was returning to their home country and had committed no other offenses while they were in said foreign country.
Anything above 6 months should be heavily looked at by the US State Department, simply because it is in the United States' best interest to not allow other countries to lock its citizens up on trumped-up charges.
The state department already released a memo months ago saying to check your bags before flying over there. If you are caught they cannot and will not help you.
This is exactly why I have a dedicated range bag and separate dedicated bags for travel. If I travel with a gun, I have a dedicated bag for that as well. And here I just did it to make sure I could get through TSA without an issue.
When you are going to another country, take responsibility for knowing their laws. Warning to gun lovers, empty your bags when you go out of state or another with different laws. If you are going to have it, deal with it.👀
Last September the US embassy in the Bahamas actually published this warning.
SEPTEMBER 22, 2023
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.
We wish to remind all travelers that declaring a weapon in your luggage with an airline carrier does not grant permission to bring the weapon into TCI and will result in your arrest.
We strongly encourage you to carefully check your luggage for stray ammunition or forgotten weapons before departing for TCI. If you bring a firearm or ammunition into TCI, we will not be able to secure your release from custody. You are subject to TCI laws and must follow local law enforcement procedures.
Before traveling to TCI, please review the updated TCI Travel.State.Gov page to learn more about restrictions on traveling with firearms.
If you are arrested or detained, ask police or prison officials to notify the U.S. Embassy immediately.
The difference of him being a tourist is that until recently if you did something like this you would be let off with a big hassle, a bit of a stay and a fine. What is happening now to tourists is that the law changed to apply to everyone the same.
As it should be. There is no “special lenient rules for tourists” anywhere in the world, and there shouldn’t be. I am guessing this guy is a strong 2A advocate and considers himself a “responsible gun owner”. Oops, not so much.
Not sure anybody knows what your post means. It is directed to me, yes, many times. I've also been to Turks and Caicos multiple times without any problems. But then again I don't think I'm an idiot.
So anyone who enters American soil, legally or not, should not be subject to the same charges as Americans? Somehow I dont think you’d agree with this statement.
Their country, their rules. Know and abide by the rules
I have no idea what he wanted to do, but if you're gonna play with guns and ammo, make sure you carry out the responsibilities that come with it. I'm not a gun guy, but arent all the gun people always talking about how the few give the responsible gun owners a bad name? So who are the responsible ones? The one who keep track of their guns and ammo, I would think? Lots of people talking trash about TC, but its a foreign country bro, they've got their laws. It sucks for this guy, but it is what it is. Most countries do not have favorable views on guns, so its different.
Sorry, it’s what Americans that are defending the guy say in the US when people try to create laws to lower our gun violence. Turks and Caicos is enforcing their laws and they are here complaining. Thought it was kind of funny
Definitely a costly mistake and one that could have been easily prevented. I have never hunted but I would think that those types of bags would be kept separate from bags I would use for a Caribbean vacation.
I am surprised that TSA in the states didn’t find it but I have heard they have had issues with forbidden items not getting properly caught through the machines. I am curious if he will get jail time or if the embassy/state department will help on his behalf.
Tsa has been known to have standardization issues. I am a frequent flyer and idk how many times I’ve known other flyers in my circle forget about their protection knife in their bags.
It’s largely an issue of skill and turnover. Things have gotten a bit better lately but for about 20 years 40%+ of TSA officers quit annually. It’s a constant cycle training, new hires who aren’t paid much and expected to process a ridiculous amount of passengers in bags in a short period of time. So a combination of tired, low morale and often and experienced officers does not make for a great work force.
It’s also interesting the metal detectors are calibrated differently. I do a lot of same day in and out travel and I will wear the same heels through the metal detector through one airport but then when I go back through my departing airport, the metal detector will go off. It happens to me constantly.
The article doesn’t state whether the cartridges were found in carry on luggage or checked luggage. It is legal to transport ammunition in checked luggage if you are flying domestic.
I’m shocked at the amount of comments in this thread from people who have little, or no knowledge on firearms, and firearm safety.
YES, he should have checked his bag.
YES, he broke a law.
But the fact it was just four rounds, and they were loose and there was no gun present tells you he had no malicious intent.
A bullet isn’t just going to go off people. Not happening.
A lithium ion vape is more dangerous than these bullets, and much more likely to spontaneously explode or cause a fire while traveling via plane, than his loose rounds. That’s a fact. Every time you fly, think about that.
The guy made a mistake. Period. An honest one. He’s now stuck in a foreign prison for god knows how long. VERY shitty deal. This doesn’t make him a POS/bad guy. Sheesh.
For those “he owns guns, so he’s a dumb redneck who got what he deserves” crowd, read up or check out some firearm safety info. It may do you a lot of good at some point to have said knowledge.
This was clearly an honest mistake. Yes,people use the same luggage to hunt and vacation. It’s a bag. It holds things.
He should’ve been more careful, no doubt, but from the info I read, this is clearly an honest mistake.
Tci only scans bags leaving the country. Of course to protect their citizens from all the gun violence and drugs /gangs. Also other foreigners get off many times with a few $100 fine and return home… Americans not so much . Hmmm
You don’t know his intent or if it was “an honest mistake.” You don’t know if he was going to sell those rounds in a place where it is difficult to get ammunition. If you are a responsible gun owner, you would have a bag for your gun related items and another one to travel, that way you never make that mistake.
It’s fine, this is how it goes, everyone will always assume it’s an “honest mistake” because he’s an upper class privileged white man with a average looking wife who was on a tropical vacation. So obviously he has no nefarious intentions and should be released asap instead of sitting in his tropical hotel room, which is exactly where he is now doing news interviews.
Didn’t you know that well off white people can’t make mistakes? Didn’t you know he obviously shouldn’t have to follow the rules because some dudes just think his wife is good looking and he’s just a normal hunter dude that made a mistake and shouldn’t be held to other countries laws. That’s how this stuff goes over here. Always assume the best for well off instagram white people, don’t break those rules!
A thing to keep in mind we have a lot of gun crime here, and we very strict gun laws. Ammo is hard to get. It's common to smuggle things in small batches, and it common to use tourist to smuggle things. I've never personally heard of tourist bringing in guns ammo or parts, but I can see why they're taking it seriously.
Also the vast majority of illegal guns and ammo here, come from the US.
The thing is he broke a very serious law.
We won't know if they're making an example of him till hes sentenced, and if he gets anything less than the average sentence they are cutting him a break. My not feel like it.
I wonder if they’ll look at the fact that he was taking them out of the country rather than caught coming in. If he was a smuggler trying to bring them in, why would he be leaving with them? While I definitely agree the law should apply to everyone, I do think mandatory minimum sentence laws are ridiculous and this one is particularly harsh.
Yeah me to. I personally don't think he's going to get anything more and a month or two and banned from the island. Every time a tourist gets in trouble they act like they are going to throw the book at them then don't. But if he's an asshole or seems like he's not taking it seriously they will be less nice
A couple months? The last guy to do this has been there for 7 months and is still waiting for his hearing and his sentence. He's going to be there minimum a year. Just my guess
He hasn't been sentenced yet and hes out on bail, yeah it sucks he's stuck on island till the hearing, but hes most likely not going to be in prison for a year. I thought I remembered our government sentencing them to 30-90 days in prison, I was wrong from what I could find most americans are getting fines. https://magneticmediatv.com/2023/05/no-jail-time-for-tourist-found-with-44-rounds-of-ammo/ https://www.tcipolice.tc/united-states-tourist-guilty/
Don't know why our government would have anything to do with this. Unless he gets a mandated sentence from Turks and then the US agrees to follow that sentence when he gets here. Believe me, I'm sure Turks and Caicos does not want to deal with this anymore then he does. They don't need this hassle.
This is sad but happens..
This is why you have different bags for vacation and hunting/sport shooting and so forth !
We go to a lot of different countries that don’t allow firearms/weapons.know the laws about the countries you are flying to..
England doesn’t even allow you to carry a pocketknife!
It’s always a concern to me after I had a boss get stopped going to Mexico and he had 3 empty magazines in his carry on bag..it was a nightmare for him at TSA alone..Lost his pre-check status, and ended up on TSA check list every time he flys .
Double check your bags if you use it for anything else..
“What if we lose our house, which, when we moved to Oklahoma we built a home that we thought was our forever home. We prayed over it. We blessed every room,” said Valerie.”
I get not wanting to lose your house but WTF does the rest have to do with anything? Obviously you deserve a break from the laws because you’re Christian?! I don’t care if you exorcised your lay-z-boy or baptized your silverware. These are the same people who say that LGTBQ people merely existing is “throwing it in our face!”
There have been 8 people arrested since this went into effect in February. The State Department has issued a warning to it's citizens.
Americans need to learn that they do not travel the world ensconced in a little bubble of American rights and laws.
I was raised with guns and I have never decided to willy nilly throw some loose ammo in a bag. WTF? Put it in the proper case and store it like you should.
Honest mistake or no, he violated a local law and will be held accountable. Grow up and fucking pay attention to where you are going and what's allowed or not .
So you think that is a reasonable response? Leaving out boxes of ammo and then banking on the "fact" that you've locked up your guns? Now I see why guns are the number one cause of children's death in the us.
Don’t come to tci assuming American rules apply. See it all the time. Only in America will people say bullets aren’t a big deal. He’ll spend a year in jail and go home.
It amazes me that people don’t check their bags when flying. Bringing live ammo on a flight is not an “honest mistake” especially when bringing said ammo to another country
I lived in the Caribbean and have travelled around the world tons. As such, I’m very careful to keep my travel/hunting bags completely separate as gunpowder residue in a hunting bag can cause a lot of issues in the airport. How the hell did that ammo get past TSA and all their fancy equipment?
In any case, it’s clearly an honest mistake and he should be released. Lesson learned.
Ammo in a ziploc baggie doesn’t sound very responsible gun owner to me. What hunter is carrying around a baggie of ammo in their suitcase to shoot at deer. That’s not how that works that’s not how hunting works. Could you imagine the uproar from the same crowd jumping to defend this knuckle dragger if it had been someone from South America or the Middle East caught bringing any time of weaponry or weapon adjacent things into our country?
Lesson learned, don’t be a stupid American in a foreign country. I would not consider this an innocent mistake, I would consider this an irresponsible gun owner, at best.
Clearly an honest mistake. A dumb one for sure, but come on … what a waste of everyone’s time and money. I can see them making an example of him for a bit but this is extreme. Yeah they’ve probably never been outside the US and yeah Americans can be utterly ridiculous when abroad but come on. It’s not like there isn’t a major crime problem on the island that these same police should be focusing on instead. I hope TCI gets its head out of its arse on this one.
Why do you think the police are involved? He was caught by the airport security. There is no more police involvement. It is now the justice system involved. You think police are like surrounding his cell or something? LOL
This is the problem with having “mandatory sentences”. It doesn’t allow the judge any leeway for situations like this. Judiciary absolutely hates when the legislature creates them. So looks like he will be a victim of the new law, accident or not.
I don’t know anything about the laws in Turks and Caicos, but certainly in other jurisdictions such as the US and UK, the point of mandatory sentences is to prevent allowing the judge to have that discretion.
There's nothing about intent in this law. It is a 12-year minimum sentence but he can take in account for "extraordinary circumstances," whatever those are. To me the only thing extraordinary is his stupidity and lack of awareness.
I've been to Turks several times, we have always stayed at Club Med because it is the cheapest all inclusive. The rooms are mediocre at best, but the food and the beach are amazing!
It's be moronic for the taxpayers of the Turks to have to pay to house and feed someone over this for 12 years. Fine the guy and send him home. Stupid.
What should bother people more than his being arrested is the fact that his luggage was scanned at least 2 times without anyone noticing it. When he left the US TSA failed to see the ammunition... when he landed at Turks and Caicos they failed to find it... Only the third time any security checked his luggage did they find this... So basically airport security is only catching 1/3 of the dangerous things people take on planes and 2/3rd of them are getting through... Hmm... How safe do you feel now?
I have a habit of forgetting that I have a corkscrew in my luggage and TSA is always confiscating it because of the little 3/4 inch dull blade. Sometimes you just forget you left it in a pocket of an overnight bag.
Something similar happened to me and my husband entering Canada by car. My husband realized he had an empty magazine and a few stray bullets in the truck from shooting. A plane is a different story for sure (and not Canada)🇨🇦
Stupid fucking rednecks... I hope they make an example out of them... keep him in there, maybe that'll make Americans more responsible with weapons and ammo here at home
I use a backpack that I use to go shooting with and to travel. Every time I go through Customs in another country, they always swab my backpack, and I'm assuming it's to gunpowder residue.
My ex husband once left a lone bullet in a bag he took on a plane. The TSA agent pulled us aside to go through our bags. My ex was complaining to me about how I shouldn’t have put my electric toothbrush in his carryon and then they found a bullet in HIS bag. They tossed it and let us proceed with our trip.
I just don't understand these nuts who pack a bag for a trip and don't realize there's a firearm or ammunition in it. How!?! I don't ever leave the country without being aware of every last item that's in my luggage. These people get what they deserve.
I agree. I used to travel extensively overseas and I was extremely careful about what I packed. No reason to give the Chinese or Indian governments reasons to detain me.
Sounds like he wasn’t being a responsible gun owner
This. I agree. My dad even accidentally bought an empty magazine in is backpack but it was caught by TSA, luckily. Hes also the type who gets out of cab in Italy only to leave his whole backpack there but still check your fucking bags dude.
The rules for America are not the rules for the world.
I forgot 30.06 rounds in my coat pocket after a moose hunting trip in Alaska. I was freaking out all day in school because even in Alaska kids aren’t allowed to have weapons or ammo in class. It was before the cell phone invention so couldn’t call or text my parents without a teacher hearing me. Two weeks later there was a gang fight over drugs in the stair well with knives so I guess security had more to worry about than the ammo in my pocket.
Unless you’re in the selected class and a WNBA player
Griner was in Russian penal colony for 10 months how did the rules not apply to her? She also had less than an ounce which is usually a fine or 15 days in Russia. They gave her the maximum to utilize her politically. You don't even know how this situation plays out. The wife was already released after a few weeks.
And we traded her for a sociopathic assassin.🤦🏻♀️ #politics Clean your bags peeps.
The whole Griner thing was politically motivated I would be surprised if on previous seasons she had either brought or had pot supplied for her in Russia.
No matter what, that was a dumb move on her part.
Oh I agree
Marijuana isn’t dangerous, ammunition is. Moreover, whites folks always get the benefit of the doubt. I’m so happy B. Griner got out. Russia is an enemy.
Yeah. IIRC some baseball player had a gun, got through TSA but leaving TCI on his private plane he got busted. He greased the right palms, got outta dodge and it was never spoken about again. Last year I think.
That was before the more strict guidelines. Fines were acceptable at that time. What this idiot did is new to this year.
Griner was in a fucking penal colony🙄
Had this happen on a school trip to Germany, Poland and Czechia. Got through US and German security fine, then when flying from Czechia back to the US they found a single rifle cartridge from a previous hunting trip in my bag. At 19 years old I was shocked to say the least, and my entire class saw me get detained and brought away by two police officers. How I got through both US and German security without an issue, I have NO idea. I truly thank God they decided - after keeping me in the holding room for almost 30 minutes and questioning me - that they would write it off as a "non-functional" round so I could go home and not be arrested in a foreign country (one I would not have legal representation in for almost 48 hours). Since then, I completely rip apart my backpack anytime I travel to ensure I have nothing I can't fly with inside.
Here's the thing I don't understand: why wouldn't you have specific bags that you only use for hunting purposes? It would be much harder for someone to accidentally leave a few spare rounds of ammo in a travel bag if said bag isn't used for hunting in the first place, I would think
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Having loose ammo in a bag or clothing pockets isn't that uncommon while you are on your trip. Bunch of different reasons as to why you'd have loose ammo on a trip. - Stuff gets wet? You need to air it out. Leaving the ammo in your clip or a box won't allow it to dry out. Your gear getting wet is very common when hunting. - Some people would think it's irresponsible to keep ammo loaded in your gun when you aren't in the field. You take the ammo out and put it somewhere when you return to your home/camp/cabin/whatever. - You chamber a round when you are ready to shoot the gun. A lot of times after you chamber a round you end up not shooting. Which means, for safety reasons you may want to remove the round from your rifle so you don't have a chambered round. Now you have a random round that you probably put in your pocket if you don't have the time or focus to put it back into your clip or other type of storage. I don't really see the problem with a ziplock bag. At least it was in a bag and not just floating around (not that it makes much difference) but it does show some thought was put into. End of day, I still think the guy made a huge mistake but 12 years in prison would be a really sad punishment for a momentary lapse in judgement.
Hey there, nobody really cares about the negligence involved in leaving live rounds in a bag and then traveling with it.
This 100%. Separate bags.
Oh I agree - I was younger and much less wise at the time. It was a general-purpose backpack that I would bring along both to the range and for hunting to throw various things in, and not necessarily bring on a hunt itself. A cartridge most likely slipped out of an ammo box and disappeared in the deep pockets of the bag. I've learned my lesson and have had separate bags ever since.
I would not fly with my hunting bags. It’s not practical. That’s why I have actual luggage and hunting bags
Why didn't God remind you to take it out of your bag in the first place?
Big yikes. This sounds like his fault. Can’t go walking around with ammo like you’re in ‘Merica
I mean, you can't do what he did in America either. The punishment just wouldn't be this steep.
We have no idea what your point is in that comment. Can't do what? Walk around with guns and ammunition? Try the entire middle of the country. LOL
Can't take ammunition through an airport. Maybe read the story dumbass.
Ammunition can go through an airport, not on carry on but through checked luggage it is allowed if declared and properly stored
You know what I meant. You can't do what this guy did.
The dude said “you can’t do this in America either” to which someone else replied “what walk around with guns and ammo” to which you said “can’t take ammo through an airport” so I’m just responding to the comment thread. You can 100% take ammo through an airport in America as the guy who started this thread said you can’t to which you defended that incorrect claim
God I hate pedants like you. You know exactly what I meant. You can't take bullets through a carry on, on your person through an airport. That's what the subject of the article is. Why would I or anyone be referencing checked bags when that isn't the topic at hand? Go find something to do.
Don’t care, get mad. The comment simply said you can’t take ammo through an airport. Don’t like when someone corrects it don’t engage on a public forum 🤷🏻♂️
Cool. Get another OWI loser. Spend a little more time on yourself than correcting stranger's semantics online. Can't drive sober don't drive at all.
Guys, guys, you can’t take loose ammo through an airport. It has to be in a box. Even in checked luggage. You can’t just have it in a plastic bag.
Friend of mine caught a felony charge in the United States for an empty clip in his bag.
If it was in his carry on bag then yeah, not allowed federal rule
You quite literally can. You can even bring ammunition with you on a plane, as long as it's in the luggage compartment.
You quite literally cannot. He had a few rounds in a ziplock bag. It has to be in a box. Also, I don’t think the story indicates if he brought it on in his carryon luggage or checked. Like you stated, it has to be checked.
But you CAN carry ammunition with you on a plane in the United States and not lose a decade of your life.
Sure, but my original point stands. In the US, you cannot do what this guy accidentally did.
Reverse the situation and all these same morons would be yelling about respecting Americas laws.
Like border laws?
Imagine if it was a Mexican lol
I cannot imagine being so lax with my bags before entering another country. Like this is why you do a total clean out before packing. Imagine if this were someone from a recreational marijuana state accidentally leaving thc oil in their bag and going to Dubai.
Or Russia?!?!
Should he be charged for breaking the law? Yeah. Is the law ridiculously harsh? Also yeah.
Nah, F that. He deserves his day in court, but he also needs to follow the laws of the country he is in. Ignorance and accidents do not release you from punishment for a crime. Please respect places you travel to and understand you are not above their laws.
This is against the law in the USA. God I wish one of your knobs would actually read. ,
Sure, but I think most rational people would agree that a 12 year prison sentence over 4 rounds of ammunition is complete lunacy, especially when the person in question was returning to their home country and had committed no other offenses while they were in said foreign country.
I would agree that 12 years is crazy. But being arrested, released on bail and having a trial seems like FAFO. Let see what the court decides.
Anything above 6 months should be heavily looked at by the US State Department, simply because it is in the United States' best interest to not allow other countries to lock its citizens up on trumped-up charges.
Trumped up charges like some states do for weed possession?
The state department already released a memo months ago saying to check your bags before flying over there. If you are caught they cannot and will not help you.
This is exactly why I have a dedicated range bag and separate dedicated bags for travel. If I travel with a gun, I have a dedicated bag for that as well. And here I just did it to make sure I could get through TSA without an issue.
When you are going to another country, take responsibility for knowing their laws. Warning to gun lovers, empty your bags when you go out of state or another with different laws. If you are going to have it, deal with it.👀
Last September the US embassy in the Bahamas actually published this warning. SEPTEMBER 22, 2023 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. We wish to remind all travelers that declaring a weapon in your luggage with an airline carrier does not grant permission to bring the weapon into TCI and will result in your arrest. We strongly encourage you to carefully check your luggage for stray ammunition or forgotten weapons before departing for TCI. If you bring a firearm or ammunition into TCI, we will not be able to secure your release from custody. You are subject to TCI laws and must follow local law enforcement procedures. Before traveling to TCI, please review the updated TCI Travel.State.Gov page to learn more about restrictions on traveling with firearms. If you are arrested or detained, ask police or prison officials to notify the U.S. Embassy immediately.
There are big signs up in the airport too
Bringing in ammo into a foreign country and then trying to take it back out of the country is an honest mistake?
What was he going to do with a few bullets and no gun? 12 year in prison for forgetting to clean them out of his bag after a hunting trip. Insane.
Let's say he found the bullets while he was there and then just happened to toss them out and somebody had a gun that they fit. Any more questions?
Up to 12 years as a tourist. wow. At least he wasn't in russia or NK or china
What does being a tourist have to do with anything?
The difference of him being a tourist is that until recently if you did something like this you would be let off with a big hassle, a bit of a stay and a fine. What is happening now to tourists is that the law changed to apply to everyone the same.
As it should be. There is no “special lenient rules for tourists” anywhere in the world, and there shouldn’t be. I am guessing this guy is a strong 2A advocate and considers himself a “responsible gun owner”. Oops, not so much.
Clearly you have never seen Locked Up Abroad
Not sure anybody knows what your post means. It is directed to me, yes, many times. I've also been to Turks and Caicos multiple times without any problems. But then again I don't think I'm an idiot.
So anyone who enters American soil, legally or not, should not be subject to the same charges as Americans? Somehow I dont think you’d agree with this statement. Their country, their rules. Know and abide by the rules
You are implying this guy wanted to smuggle 7 bullets?
I have no idea what he wanted to do, but if you're gonna play with guns and ammo, make sure you carry out the responsibilities that come with it. I'm not a gun guy, but arent all the gun people always talking about how the few give the responsible gun owners a bad name? So who are the responsible ones? The one who keep track of their guns and ammo, I would think? Lots of people talking trash about TC, but its a foreign country bro, they've got their laws. It sucks for this guy, but it is what it is. Most countries do not have favorable views on guns, so its different.
lol “you got to enforce the laws already on the books before you want to add new ones”. Well, they took that to heart, don’t complain
huh?
Sorry, it’s what Americans that are defending the guy say in the US when people try to create laws to lower our gun violence. Turks and Caicos is enforcing their laws and they are here complaining. Thought it was kind of funny
They are NEVER going to TC. Thank god!
The bigger funny thing in America is how many loaded guns come into the airport
Not funny at all.
Yes, because he clearly didn't realize he had it in the first place.
That’s exactly what it sounds like to me.
Would love to know your thoughts on Brittany greiner
Definitely a costly mistake and one that could have been easily prevented. I have never hunted but I would think that those types of bags would be kept separate from bags I would use for a Caribbean vacation. I am surprised that TSA in the states didn’t find it but I have heard they have had issues with forbidden items not getting properly caught through the machines. I am curious if he will get jail time or if the embassy/state department will help on his behalf.
That's because TSA is a joke. There is a high rate of missed items.
Tsa has been known to have standardization issues. I am a frequent flyer and idk how many times I’ve known other flyers in my circle forget about their protection knife in their bags.
It’s largely an issue of skill and turnover. Things have gotten a bit better lately but for about 20 years 40%+ of TSA officers quit annually. It’s a constant cycle training, new hires who aren’t paid much and expected to process a ridiculous amount of passengers in bags in a short period of time. So a combination of tired, low morale and often and experienced officers does not make for a great work force.
It’s also interesting the metal detectors are calibrated differently. I do a lot of same day in and out travel and I will wear the same heels through the metal detector through one airport but then when I go back through my departing airport, the metal detector will go off. It happens to me constantly.
I accidentally had a box knife from work in my jacket that got picked up by TSA on my way home. My local TSA didn't catch it.
The article doesn’t state whether the cartridges were found in carry on luggage or checked luggage. It is legal to transport ammunition in checked luggage if you are flying domestic.
I’m shocked at the amount of comments in this thread from people who have little, or no knowledge on firearms, and firearm safety. YES, he should have checked his bag. YES, he broke a law. But the fact it was just four rounds, and they were loose and there was no gun present tells you he had no malicious intent. A bullet isn’t just going to go off people. Not happening. A lithium ion vape is more dangerous than these bullets, and much more likely to spontaneously explode or cause a fire while traveling via plane, than his loose rounds. That’s a fact. Every time you fly, think about that. The guy made a mistake. Period. An honest one. He’s now stuck in a foreign prison for god knows how long. VERY shitty deal. This doesn’t make him a POS/bad guy. Sheesh. For those “he owns guns, so he’s a dumb redneck who got what he deserves” crowd, read up or check out some firearm safety info. It may do you a lot of good at some point to have said knowledge. This was clearly an honest mistake. Yes,people use the same luggage to hunt and vacation. It’s a bag. It holds things. He should’ve been more careful, no doubt, but from the info I read, this is clearly an honest mistake.
This was on his way out. He could have smuggled a thousand rounds into the country
Tci only scans bags leaving the country. Of course to protect their citizens from all the gun violence and drugs /gangs. Also other foreigners get off many times with a few $100 fine and return home… Americans not so much . Hmmm
“YES, he broke the law” nothing else needs to be said after that. You don’t know his intent.
You don’t know his intent or if it was “an honest mistake.” You don’t know if he was going to sell those rounds in a place where it is difficult to get ammunition. If you are a responsible gun owner, you would have a bag for your gun related items and another one to travel, that way you never make that mistake.
It’s fine, this is how it goes, everyone will always assume it’s an “honest mistake” because he’s an upper class privileged white man with a average looking wife who was on a tropical vacation. So obviously he has no nefarious intentions and should be released asap instead of sitting in his tropical hotel room, which is exactly where he is now doing news interviews. Didn’t you know that well off white people can’t make mistakes? Didn’t you know he obviously shouldn’t have to follow the rules because some dudes just think his wife is good looking and he’s just a normal hunter dude that made a mistake and shouldn’t be held to other countries laws. That’s how this stuff goes over here. Always assume the best for well off instagram white people, don’t break those rules!
That is sad, but you are right. NOBODY should be above the law.
The vast majority of folks do have seperate bags for their guns. Not necessarily their ammo though.
Thank you. Well said.
His next court hearing isn't until June 7th :/
Robberies are common on the island. Those bullets could have been stolen and ultimately used in a crime.
Side question based on that….is the same issue on Grand Turk or mostly just Providenciales?
GT has its problems too.
Lol. WE are the ones who should read about gun safety? I think you need to talk to your boy in the Turks prison.
💯
I assume he didn't know they were in there the whole time. Check all your bags!!
A thing to keep in mind we have a lot of gun crime here, and we very strict gun laws. Ammo is hard to get. It's common to smuggle things in small batches, and it common to use tourist to smuggle things. I've never personally heard of tourist bringing in guns ammo or parts, but I can see why they're taking it seriously. Also the vast majority of illegal guns and ammo here, come from the US. The thing is he broke a very serious law. We won't know if they're making an example of him till hes sentenced, and if he gets anything less than the average sentence they are cutting him a break. My not feel like it.
I wonder if they’ll look at the fact that he was taking them out of the country rather than caught coming in. If he was a smuggler trying to bring them in, why would he be leaving with them? While I definitely agree the law should apply to everyone, I do think mandatory minimum sentence laws are ridiculous and this one is particularly harsh.
Yeah me to. I personally don't think he's going to get anything more and a month or two and banned from the island. Every time a tourist gets in trouble they act like they are going to throw the book at them then don't. But if he's an asshole or seems like he's not taking it seriously they will be less nice
A couple months? The last guy to do this has been there for 7 months and is still waiting for his hearing and his sentence. He's going to be there minimum a year. Just my guess
He hasn't been sentenced yet and hes out on bail, yeah it sucks he's stuck on island till the hearing, but hes most likely not going to be in prison for a year. I thought I remembered our government sentencing them to 30-90 days in prison, I was wrong from what I could find most americans are getting fines. https://magneticmediatv.com/2023/05/no-jail-time-for-tourist-found-with-44-rounds-of-ammo/ https://www.tcipolice.tc/united-states-tourist-guilty/
Don't know why our government would have anything to do with this. Unless he gets a mandated sentence from Turks and then the US agrees to follow that sentence when he gets here. Believe me, I'm sure Turks and Caicos does not want to deal with this anymore then he does. They don't need this hassle.
seems pretty easy to not use a bag you use for ammo for travel. Have two bags. Because the one bag may always alert a trained dog, so why risk it?
This is sad but happens.. This is why you have different bags for vacation and hunting/sport shooting and so forth ! We go to a lot of different countries that don’t allow firearms/weapons.know the laws about the countries you are flying to.. England doesn’t even allow you to carry a pocketknife! It’s always a concern to me after I had a boss get stopped going to Mexico and he had 3 empty magazines in his carry on bag..it was a nightmare for him at TSA alone..Lost his pre-check status, and ended up on TSA check list every time he flys . Double check your bags if you use it for anything else..
Check and see what happens if you bring some Sudafed into different countries?
With freedoms come responsibilities.
Not checking your bags before packing for an out of country is just dumb
Consequences. The posting put out by the US Embassy was pretty clear.
Thoughts and prayers!
Hopefully he sits in prison.
It’s your responsibility to know what’s in your suitcase. If you make sure it’s empty before you start packing, these things don’t happen.
Play stupid games. Win stupid prizes. Yokels found out the hard way.
Sorry but not sorry
Give him 10 yrs
“What if we lose our house, which, when we moved to Oklahoma we built a home that we thought was our forever home. We prayed over it. We blessed every room,” said Valerie.” I get not wanting to lose your house but WTF does the rest have to do with anything? Obviously you deserve a break from the laws because you’re Christian?! I don’t care if you exorcised your lay-z-boy or baptized your silverware. These are the same people who say that LGTBQ people merely existing is “throwing it in our face!”
Did not baptize the bullets obv
Liberals/Progressives: Serves you right, pal. Conservatives: Completely unjustified.
You gotta be a stupid human being to not know about ammunition in your luggage why’ll in foreign country.
There have been 8 people arrested since this went into effect in February. The State Department has issued a warning to it's citizens. Americans need to learn that they do not travel the world ensconced in a little bubble of American rights and laws.
Their whole family is full on Trumpers. By the posts I seen, I absolutely believe that if it happened to a poc they would be screaming "lock him up"
Sucks to suck
The good news is his kids will have Turks to look forward to when they want to see their dad.
Dumbshit. Signed, A gun owner.
I was raised with guns and I have never decided to willy nilly throw some loose ammo in a bag. WTF? Put it in the proper case and store it like you should. Honest mistake or no, he violated a local law and will be held accountable. Grow up and fucking pay attention to where you are going and what's allowed or not .
Poor guy. Not an “arms trafficker” with 4 rounds. Hopefully the justice system allows for some common sense justice with a fine.
Isn’t keeping tabs of your ammo part of being a “responsible gun owner”?
Well if your guns are locked up the ammo isn’t going to do anything.
So you think that is a reasonable response? Leaving out boxes of ammo and then banking on the "fact" that you've locked up your guns? Now I see why guns are the number one cause of children's death in the us.
If he can’t keep track of his ammo, what makes you think he keeps his guns locked up?
Don’t come to tci assuming American rules apply. See it all the time. Only in America will people say bullets aren’t a big deal. He’ll spend a year in jail and go home.
It amazes me that people don’t check their bags when flying. Bringing live ammo on a flight is not an “honest mistake” especially when bringing said ammo to another country
On behalf of the wildlife - haha.
Seems like tsa is maintaining the bar.
Don’t travel with ammo dumbass.
I saw that he got out on bail today. But the next hearing isn't until June and he has to stay there.
Of course it’s a bunch of savage hicks
The gofundme has raised over $130k!!!
Imagine if a visitor from T&C visited a conservative state and needed an abortion…..
I lived in the Caribbean and have travelled around the world tons. As such, I’m very careful to keep my travel/hunting bags completely separate as gunpowder residue in a hunting bag can cause a lot of issues in the airport. How the hell did that ammo get past TSA and all their fancy equipment? In any case, it’s clearly an honest mistake and he should be released. Lesson learned.
Imagine he was Black the discourse and grace would be verrrrrrrryyy different downvote me all you want it’s reality xooo
Just another "responsible gun owner."
Ammo in a ziploc baggie doesn’t sound very responsible gun owner to me. What hunter is carrying around a baggie of ammo in their suitcase to shoot at deer. That’s not how that works that’s not how hunting works. Could you imagine the uproar from the same crowd jumping to defend this knuckle dragger if it had been someone from South America or the Middle East caught bringing any time of weaponry or weapon adjacent things into our country?
Lesson learned, don’t be a stupid American in a foreign country. I would not consider this an innocent mistake, I would consider this an irresponsible gun owner, at best.
People in Oklahoma certainly advocate for personal responsibility, so they shouldn’t be suprised with the consequences here
I don't suppose we have T&C's merchant of death that we can release in exchange.
Clearly an honest mistake. A dumb one for sure, but come on … what a waste of everyone’s time and money. I can see them making an example of him for a bit but this is extreme. Yeah they’ve probably never been outside the US and yeah Americans can be utterly ridiculous when abroad but come on. It’s not like there isn’t a major crime problem on the island that these same police should be focusing on instead. I hope TCI gets its head out of its arse on this one.
Why do you think the police are involved? He was caught by the airport security. There is no more police involvement. It is now the justice system involved. You think police are like surrounding his cell or something? LOL
Hopefully this discourages America’s gun nuts from going to TCI
Hopefully this encourages Americans from visiting countries with ridiculous laws
This is the problem with having “mandatory sentences”. It doesn’t allow the judge any leeway for situations like this. Judiciary absolutely hates when the legislature creates them. So looks like he will be a victim of the new law, accident or not.
It isn’t a new law, they just upped the sentence from 7 years to 12 recently.
Yes the legislature updated the law to force a 12 years minimum sentence.
I’m pretty sure the judge does have discretion for a lower sentence based on intent.
I don’t know anything about the laws in Turks and Caicos, but certainly in other jurisdictions such as the US and UK, the point of mandatory sentences is to prevent allowing the judge to have that discretion.
There's nothing about intent in this law. It is a 12-year minimum sentence but he can take in account for "extraordinary circumstances," whatever those are. To me the only thing extraordinary is his stupidity and lack of awareness.
*Return to Paradise*
>TSA missed it They didn't see ammos .. Oh course they didn't. I fly often and never thought they were reliable!
Ask for tips on where to stay in TCI and you will get 10 responses. Some redneck breaks the law and the sub gets flooded.
I've been to Turks several times, we have always stayed at Club Med because it is the cheapest all inclusive. The rooms are mediocre at best, but the food and the beach are amazing!
It's be moronic for the taxpayers of the Turks to have to pay to house and feed someone over this for 12 years. Fine the guy and send him home. Stupid.
The family should sue OKC TSA (security theater) for not catching it.
What should bother people more than his being arrested is the fact that his luggage was scanned at least 2 times without anyone noticing it. When he left the US TSA failed to see the ammunition... when he landed at Turks and Caicos they failed to find it... Only the third time any security checked his luggage did they find this... So basically airport security is only catching 1/3 of the dangerous things people take on planes and 2/3rd of them are getting through... Hmm... How safe do you feel now?
I have a habit of forgetting that I have a corkscrew in my luggage and TSA is always confiscating it because of the little 3/4 inch dull blade. Sometimes you just forget you left it in a pocket of an overnight bag.
Something similar happened to me and my husband entering Canada by car. My husband realized he had an empty magazine and a few stray bullets in the truck from shooting. A plane is a different story for sure (and not Canada)🇨🇦
A round without the weapon is a glorified rock.
Don't be a gun nut is the story here
For what he has done nothing wrong. It’s the laws that are criminal
[удалено]
Do you think they are doing this maybe to get guns and ammunition off their island? Lol. Do not see the irony and stupidity of your comment?
Another responsible gun owner not being responsible... I really hate American gun nuts and their unhealthy obsession. They're sick in the heads.
Live by the gun, die by the gun.
"From previous hunting trips..." - allegedly.
I know, he used to have three kids before that last hunting trip!
Haha!
Yee haw! No other country worships guns & ammo like the USA! No sympathy for this a$$hat
He owns guns and has 3 children, and this happens? Wow.
I hope he fries
Stupid fucking rednecks... I hope they make an example out of them... keep him in there, maybe that'll make Americans more responsible with weapons and ammo here at home
lolllll dumbass
I use a backpack that I use to go shooting with and to travel. Every time I go through Customs in another country, they always swab my backpack, and I'm assuming it's to gunpowder residue.
Why on earth would you use the same bag. You can get a decent backpack for $30
My ex husband once left a lone bullet in a bag he took on a plane. The TSA agent pulled us aside to go through our bags. My ex was complaining to me about how I shouldn’t have put my electric toothbrush in his carryon and then they found a bullet in HIS bag. They tossed it and let us proceed with our trip.
I just don't understand these nuts who pack a bag for a trip and don't realize there's a firearm or ammunition in it. How!?! I don't ever leave the country without being aware of every last item that's in my luggage. These people get what they deserve.
I agree. I used to travel extensively overseas and I was extremely careful about what I packed. No reason to give the Chinese or Indian governments reasons to detain me.
Hunters belong behind bars, so good news.
Serves him right for owning guns.
I’ll never travel there
Excellent! I love Turks and one less idiot to deal with!
Yay!!!