This week, three U.S. governors have urged Turks and Caicos to grant clemency to Americans who have been detained on the islands. This comes in the wake of ammunition possession charges being brought against a Florida woman, who is now the fifth U.S. tourist to be charged with such offenses. Four of the Americans who have been detained have admitted that they inadvertently transported the ammunition.
The governors of Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Virginia sent a joint letter to the governor of Turks and Caicos on Tuesday, requesting that allegations against three Americans from their respective states, who are currently facing potential 12-year prison terms, be reconsidered.
“These individuals, like thousands of Americans annually, visited your stunning territory for recreational purposes,” the governors wrote. “We respectfully implore your government to demonstrate compassion in the administration of justice and to recognize that these individuals made mistakes but did not possess any discernible malice.”
The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police confirmed that Sharitta Shinise Grier, 45, of Orlando, Florida, was accused with one count of ammunition possession during a routine search at Howard Hamilton International Airport on Monday. The lawmakers’ plea coincided with this development. Her luggage was purportedly found to contain two cartridges.
Grier, who was detained while returning to Florida, reportedly appeared in court on Thursday. The date of her subsequent hearing is July 5.
The National Rifle Association made a demand on Thursday that the United States State Department “use all feasible methods to repatriate American citizens.”.
Before departing the United States, the State Department issued a warning to American travelers to the territory about the possibility of encountering neglected weapons or stray ammunition. Additionally, the department stated that “declaring a weapon in your luggage with an airline carrier does not authorize the weapon’s entry into the Turks and Caicos Islands and will result in your arrest.”
Travelers were previously exempt from the requirement to pay a fine, despite the fact that it is now unlawful to possess a firearm or ammunition in Turks and Caicos. This changed in February, when a court order mandated that travelers could potentially be subject to mandatory prison time in addition to monetary penalties. Ammunition is also prohibited by TSA policy when transported in carry-on luggage.
TSA officials purportedly overlooked the four cartridges of hunting ammunition in Watson and his wife’s carry-on when they departed Oklahoma City in April. CBS News was informed by a TSA spokesperson that the agency is currently conducting an internal investigation into the oversight.
According to CBS News, TSA Administrator David Pekoske stated that occasionally, Americans with ammunition in their carry-on luggage are omitted from the screening process because screeners review hundreds of images during their shift rotations.
In his interview with CBS News senior transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave, Pekosek stated, “In my view, the solution is to provide them with more technological assistance.” He was alluding to software that could identify rounds of ammunition, sections of firearms, and various cutlery.
He stated, “It is impractical to cease all of our aspirations.” He recommended that passengers empty and repack their carry-on luggage before departing for the airport to prevent any stray bullets from entering.
