I thought Blinken and Clinton were tied for worst modern Secretary of State ever but after watching him plink on his gee-tar on the recent Ukraine visit, he wins hand down.

I'd love to see those T&C assholes suck on a do not travel advisory.

I flew to TX this last weekend. TSA found one of my backup carry magazines, loaded with 7 rounds that I haven't been able to find for months, maybe over a year. Small pocket on a bag I rarely use. Told em to chuck it. Most of them thought it was kind of funny by my reaction. I watched the screener count to 7 for the manager wondering what the hell she was counting.

This thread immediately came to mind. I didn't have the "that can never happen to me" mentality cause I'm jackass enough to forget stuff. But it seemed pretty far removed from my reality that it would happen especially with being aware of the situations in T&C.

Humbling and eye opening for sure.

^^^ I like the blockade idea.

52 Weeks suspended sentence for Bryan. Paying his fine and coming home. Go Judge Jackson!!!!

1 down , 3 to go.

I think that with the pressure being applied with the delegation visit and Representative Reschenthaler berating Blinken (which I am sure the authorities in T&C are aware), all pending cases will end up as suspended sentence / pay fine / leave.

To do otherwise would be foolish, since it would add fuel to the fire. There will be no more of these cases which escape the view of the public and if an American gets sentenced to 12 years, the economy of T&C will be in danger of taking a substantial hit, one which I don't believe they can afford.

He had the same Judge that I did. This was the Judge I told him he needed to be in front of. She is a professional and compassionate person. Ryan Watson has the same Judge. My attorney Tyler Wenrich does not. He is going in front of Baptiste who has a reputation of being a prick. Tyler's sentencing is next. We'll see.

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
I thought Blinken and Clinton were tied for worst modern Secretary of State ever but after watching him plink on his gee-tar on the recent Ukraine visit, he wins hand down.

Cyrus Vance comes to mind as does William Jennings Bryan.



The only reason Blinkin was brought-on as SECSTATE was to re-establish the JCPOA treaty with Iran; that whole document was his baby. Brandon & Co were entirely focused on undoing everything that DJT established, even if it meant side-lining and minimizing the Abraham Accords which should've brought regional peace, stability and trade with many Islamic states & Israel.

How much did taxpayers spend for this delegation and their families and aides to go on a fact finding diplomatic mission to the Caribbean in terrible weather May for no visible results.

If we had a real president and real sec state a few phone calls would be made and the message delivered that no tourist dollars will be arriving after tomorrow if they don’t cut the crap immediately.

I guess Fetterman was part of the gang that went down there.

https://x.com/SenFettermanPA/s.../1794034663683395987

Link

American in Turks and Caicos sentenced to time served, fine over ammo in bag

Another American who was arrested in the Turks and Caicos Islands for possessing ammunition was sentenced to time served and a $9,000 fine on Tuesday, local media reported. Tyler Wenrich was facing a potential mandatory minimum sentence of 12 years in prison for ammunition charges in the British territory.

Updated: 5:06 PM CDT May 28, 2024

"Judge sets trial, sentencing date for Edmond Oklahoma man facing ammunition charge in Turks and Caicos
Another American facing the same charge was recently released to return to the United States.

An Oklahoma man facing a possible 12 years in prison in Turks and Caicos for an ammunition charge has been given a date for his trial and sentencing.

Ryan Watson, who is from Edmond, stood before a judge and pleaded guilty on Tuesday for having ammunition, as another American facing the same charge was released and will head home to the United States. Watson's case will be heard on June 17, and he is set to be sentenced on June 21.

Watson told KOCO 5 in April that he didn't know the ammunition was in his luggage as he and his wife were going through security at a Turks and Caicos airport to come back to Oklahoma. He said it was inadvertently left in the luggage from a previous hunting trip.

LINK TO REST OF STORY

That's all the information so far on this man. Hopefully he will very soon be able to fly back to Oklahoma for his wife and kids and other family.

Waiting until June 17 sucks. There's no justification for waiting that long.
.

quote:

There's no justification for waiting that long.

There is if you want to stick it to the big, bad American.

I suspect this publicity will put a big dent in any tourist business they had.
My memory tells me that back in the good'ol days, that place was a haven for drug smuggling so those laws may be a backlash against the Uzi totin types plus a way to take cash from us Gringos that aren't careful.

I'm not sure what finally got thru, but Turks & Caicos backtracking. I would have liked to seen no cruise ships going to their port.

Turks & Caicos drops 12 year mandatory sentence for ammo.


Turks and Caicos backtracks on ammunition law that landed American tourists behind bars
5 Americans arrested after stray bullets found in luggage at TCI airport
Audrey Conklin By Michael Ruiz , Audrey Conklin Fox News
Published June 19, 2024 3:30pm EDT

The government of the Turks and Caicos Islands has repealed a mandatory minimum of 12 years in prison as punishment for firearms offenses after the law ensnared at least five American tourists who were found with stray bullets in their luggage at an airport in the Caribbean hot spot, according to local reports.

The country's parliament agreed unanimously to revise the new ordinance after "a great deal of flacking" from American lawmakers, the country's Newsline TCI reported.

In May, a bipartisan congressional delegation flew to Turks and Caicos and appealed in person for the U.S. citizens' release.

The change came just before Oklahoma resident Ryan Watson was due in court Wednesday. He is one of five Americans charged under the law in the past few months.

Watson, a 40-year-old from Edmond, has been freed on bond but required to remain in the island country since his arrest in April, when authorities there found ammunition in his bag at the airport.

He could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Watson and others facing the same charge each had a handful of stray bullets in their bags when local authorities arrested them. Under the prior version of the law, they would be required to prove their arrests happened under "exceptional circumstances" to avoid harsh penalties. Under the revised law, the court has greater discretion to impose a lesser sentence.

"This legislative change is a critical step in ensuring our legal system is both just and flexible," the parliament's opposition leader Edwin Astwood told The Sun TCI, another local paper. "It acknowledges that not all cases are alike and that our judges must have the ability to consider all factors and impose sentences that are truly just and appropriate."

He said the goal is to uphold the rule of law — but also to differentiate between genuine threats and people who made a mistake.

Ryan Watson
Ryan Watson was granted $15,000 bail for an ammunition possession charge that carried a maximum potential penalty of 12 years in prison. (Turks and Caicos police)

Turks and Caicos' top prosecutor, Attorney General Rhondalee Braithwaite Knowles, spearheaded the revision, according to Newsline.

Her office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The requirements for "exceptional circumstances" included proving they have no prior criminal record, they did not intend to bring ammunition into the airport, and why a 12-year sentence would be excessive.

Watson previously told Fox News Digital the ammunition was left over from a prior hunting trip and was not part of his vacation plans.

Hagerich was detained in Turks and Caicos after having loose ammo in his luggage and was released back to the U.S. on a suspended sentence. (Matthew Symons for Fox News Digital)

"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 previously told Fox News Digital. "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."

The other Americans charged under the ordinance include Bryan Hagerich, a 39-year-old Pennsylvania father of two and former professional baseball player, who came home after more than 100 days in jail after the court agreed to fine him $6,500 and avoid prison.

Texas' Michael Lee Evans, 72, pleaded guilty to possessing seven rounds of ammunition, according to The Sun TCI. He was still awaiting sentencing but had been allowed to return to the U.S. due to a serious illness, according to authorities.

Virginia's Tyler Wenrich was freed in May after paying a $10,000 fine.

Watson is expecting to learn his fate Friday. Sharitta Grier, of Florida, is also awaiting her sentencing.

^^^ ^^^
Thanks for that happy report!

Yeah, the sons o' bitches. They finally figured it out, that killing the goose that laid the golden egg was a very bad idea. I'm sure it pained their anti-American government authorities, but they have no one to blame but themselves.

Mike Evans' sentencing was scheduled for yesterday, the 18th, then postponed until today, and now they have once again rescheduled it, this time for Monday the 24th. This seems to be typical in that country's court system. Hopefully, Mike will benefit from T&C's reversal of their draconian bullshit.

It's my fervent hope that the word has gotten out to all who might travel to T&C, and that once Watson and Grier are out from under it, we might see a very long- if not permanent- hiatus from the unreasonable persecution of American citizens who find themselves in that now unattractive place.

Ryan Watson receives a suspended 13-week jail sentence and a fine of $2,000

The Oklahoma man who was facing 12 years in a tropical prison after Turks and Caicos authorities found four stray bullets in his luggage is coming back to the United States after a months-long ordeal.

Ryan Watson, 40, was arrested in April at the country's main airport.

At his sentencing hearing Friday, Watson received a suspended 13-week jail sentence and a fine of $2,000 – or $500 per bullet, according to family spokesman Jonathan Franks.

Watson was expected to pay the fine and get on a flight to Oklahoma City before the end of the day.

After the sentencing, the judge urged American travelers bound for Turks and Caicos to double-check their bags and asked the Transportation Safety Administration to screen outgoing travelers.

Watson is one of at least five Americans arrested this year who were arrested for violating Turks and Caicos' ammunition law.

Watson previously told Fox News Digital he had no intention of bringing ammunition on his vacation and that the bullets had been forgotten in his bag after a prior hunting trip.

The country's parliament agreed unanimously earlier this week to revise the new ordinance after "a great deal of flacking" from American lawmakers, the country's Newsline TCI reported.

In May, a bipartisan congressional delegation flew to Turks and Caicos and appealed in person for the U.S. citizens' release.

"This legislative change is a critical step in ensuring our legal system is both just and flexible," the parliament's opposition leader Edwin Astwood told The Sun TCI, another local paper. "It acknowledges that not all cases are alike and that our judges must have the ability to consider all factors and impose sentences that are truly just and appropriate."

He said the goal is to uphold the rule of law — but also to differentiate between genuine threats and people who made a mistake.

The other Americans charged under the ordinance include Bryan Hagerich, a 39-year-old Pennsylvania father of two and former professional baseball player, who came home after more than 100 days in jail after the court agreed to fine him $6,500 and avoid prison.

Texas' Michael Lee Evans, 72, pleaded guilty to possessing seven rounds of ammunition, according to The Sun TCI. He was still awaiting sentencing but had been allowed to return to the U.S. due to a serious illness, according to authorities.

Virginia's Tyler Wenrich was freed in May after paying a $10,000 fine. Sharitta Grier, of Florida, is also awaiting her sentencing.