Southwest
Americans arrested in Turks and Caicos face 12 years in prison over 'innocent mistake': 'Never dawned on us'
Multiple Americans are facing minimum 12-year prison sentences for unknowingly having ammunition or bullets in their luggage while traveling home from Turks and Caicos.
Ryan Watson, a father of two from Oklahoma, and Tyler Wenrich, a father of a 1-year-old toddler from Virginia, were both arrested and detained this month after Turks and Caicos airport security found bullets in their luggage while they were returning from their vacations on the island.
“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 told Fox News Digital. “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.”
Now, Watson — who was celebrating several of his friends’ 40th birthdays on the islands — faces a minimum of 12 years in prison if his efforts for justice in court aren’t successful. A recent mandate passed in February subjects Turks and Caicos tourists to more than a decade of prison time for leaving the country with bullets in their bags. His wife, Valerie, was arrested alongside her husband on April 12, but authorities released her on Tuesday.
OKLAHOMA MAN WITH AMMO IN TURKS AND CAICOS AIRPORT FACES 12 YEARS IN PRISON: ‘RISK OF LOSING EVERYTHING’
Ryan and Valerie Watson were arrested in Turks and Caicos on April 12 after island airport officials found ammunition in Ryan’s carry-on bag. Valerie was released, but Ryan faces up to 12 years in prison. (GoFundMe)
“I thought that was an intimidation tactic at first,” Ryan Watson said of the potential 12-year sentence that was explained to him upon his arrest.
OKLAHOMA AIRPORT UNDER TSA MICROSCOPE AFTER TURKS AND CAICOS JAILS DAD FOUND WITH AMMO
Watson was released on $15,000 bail after the driver he hired for his weeklong vacation put up his vehicle “as what they call surety,” Watson said.
A Turks and Caicos court confirmed that Ryan Watson was granted $15,000 bail for the ammunition possession charge. (Turks and Caicos police)
“So it has to be a local that has an asset of the equivalent value of your bail. And so he put up his vehicle, which is his way to make a living. He put up the title of that vehicle in order for us to get bail,” Watson explained.
The father of two is now staying at a local residence because he cannot leave Turks and Caicos under the conditions of his release until his trial.
The Oklahoma father has been in touch with at least five other Americans who are facing the same fate, including Tyler Wenrich, who remains in jail after being arrested on April 20.
Tyler Wenrich is also facing a minimum 12-year prison sentence after two stray bullets were found in his bag while traveling home from Turks and Caicos. (Michael Wenrich)
“Double check. Triple check. Quadruple check. Because … an innocent mistake like this now has … it’s affecting a lot of families,” Wenrich’s father, Michael Wenrich, told Fox News Digital.
WATCH:
Both men, who are legal gun owners in the U.S., got through TSA security in American airports without being flagged prior to their trips.
Ryan and Valerie Watson on vacation in Turks and Caicos. (Facebook)
Now, TSA is investigating Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City, where Watson flew out of to get to the islands.
“[I]t never dawned on us.”
“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 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.”
Valerie Watson similarly said her family realizes their story “may hurt” tourism in Turks and Caicos, which her family does not want to happen because the locals they met there “are such good-hearted people.”
Wenrich flew from Virginia to Florida, where he boarded a Royal Caribbean cruise for a “wedding party,” all without the bullets being detected, his dad said. The cruise docked, and the party spent some time in Grand Turk before Wenrich was eventually detained when he was caught with two stray bullets in his bag while returning home.
Wenrich flew from Virginia to Florida, where he boarded a Royal Caribbean cruise for a “wedding party,” all without the bullets being detected. (TCI Police)
The U.S. Embassy in the Bahamas currently has a travel alert that says “[f]irearms, ammunition (including stray bullets), and other weapons are not permitted in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI),” adding that “TCI authorities strictly enforce all firearms-and-ammunition-related laws.”
“If you bring a firearm or ammunition into TCI, even inadvertently, we will not be able to secure your release from custody.”
“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 Embassy states in the alert. “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.”
Tyler Wenrich and Ryan Watson are both set to appear in court in Turks and Caicos on June 7. (Michael Wenrich)
Valerie thanked the public and government leaders for their outpouring of support for her family, saying she and their children just want Ryan home.
“We really strive to just raise our kids to be good people. We strive to be good people and do good for others. We would never intentionally do anything that would put anybody in harm,” she said. ” And the amount of support that people have shown us through all of this in just so many different ways, through prayer, through the GoFundMe … our government officials, doing everything they can to help and support us. I mean, it is humbling and we are so grateful. … We want Ryan to come home so that he can be with our kids and our family.”
Both Watson and Wenrich are set to appear in court on June 7.
Read the full article from Here
The driver of a Tesla Cybertruck was arrested for driving under the influence early Saturday morning following a pursuit that ended in a crash. According to a California Highway Patrol spokesperson, their officers were assisting the Los Angeles Police Department when the pursuit terminated along the westbound span of the 118 Freeway near De Soto […]
“Moana” has been called a box office flop, an unnecessary money grab by Walt Disney Studios, but what it hasn’t been called yet is a triumphant win for cultural representation on the big screen.
The live-action adaptation of the beloved 2016 animated movie “Moana” effectively bombed at the box office, making much less money than industry insiders anticipated.
While it failed to live up to the expectations of the box office and critics alike, the film did exceed the expectations of moviegoers of Pacific Island descent, and they’ve taken to social media to express just how much the movie means to them.
Moana is more than the main character’s name. It means ocean across several Pacific Islander languages.
One user explained how this kind of representation is more than entertainment.
“When I watched ‘Moana,’ I couldn’t hold back my tears. I heard the language of my parents, the language of my people. I saw our traditional Samoan clothing, our weaving, our siva, our culture, our values. I saw my people. I saw me.”
Another user said seeing Pacific Islanders on the silver screen influenced her own artistry.
“Representation matters. As a sometimes-Female-Polynesian-filmmaker (depending on the day and my imposter syndrome), seeing our stories on a screen this big makes me dream a little bigger too.”
Even the film’s star, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, spoke to the film’s representation in a recent Instagram post.
“I feel that our movie ‘Moana’ will always serve a bigger purpose than just a film – it’s representation. Our Polynesian culture showcased to the world, and embraced by the world – with love, humility, warrior spirit and MANA.”
That representation was taken as a serious responsibility by the actors and creative team behind the scenes of Disney’s latest live-action remake.
“We got chosen for a reason,” Rena Owen, who plays Gramma Tala in the film, explains.
“Every single one of us, whether that’s an actor, whether that’s a creative, whether that’s a crew person. We’re raised that way, we’re raised in villages and we’re raised… on our earth, with our sky father and our moana, that’s what we all have in common. So, we just had to be ourselves.”
Disney once again leaned on members of its Oceanic Cultural Trust, a group formed over a decade ago to ensure cultural accuracy for the first “Moana” movie.
The trust’s lead consultant, Dr. Grant Muāgututiʻa, spoke about the work that went into bringing Moana to life on screen.
“We have a big responsibility to our folks who are gonna be watching the film. We’re elated that the film crew and the filmmakers were really receptive to all of the input that we had and we’re really happy with the way it turned out.”
Dr. Muāgututiʻa is a linguist by trade, serving as Assistant Professor of Linguistics at California State University San Marcos. He told KTLA he was thrilled that people of Samoan descent can hear their language spoken in a major Disney film.
“The mountaintop scene where you can hear both Jon Tui, who plays Chief Tui, and Catherine Laga’aia, who plays Moana speaking Samoan. And then the Siva Tau scene, where Seiuli Dwayne Johnson also speaks Samoan. I think those are special moments that are new, especially for our people to see. They’re able to experience real islanders that are proud of their culture.”
“Moana” Choreographer and Cultural Trust member Tiana Nonosina Liufau agreed.
“Seeing an all-Pasifika cast, and hearing them, there’s a lot of Mana in that, hearing these words come out of their mouth, something audiences can trace back to their genealogy, that’s priceless. All worth it.”
Crews worked overnight on what is expected to be a long-term effort to clean up and repair a broken water main that caused extensive damage in West Hollywood on Thursday.
Yellow tape remained in place Friday morning, blocking streets around Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive as crews continued pumping water out of the century-old trunk line.
Asphalt and soil were also being removed so crews could get a better look at the damaged 36-inch trunk line, a major feeder pipe serving the area.
-
Aerial view of flooded streets in West Hollywood following a water main break on July 16, 2026. -
Two men fell into a sinkhole that opened on a sidewalk after a massive water main break in West Hollywood on July 16, 2026. (KTLA) -
Aerial view of flooded Metro buses in West Hollywood following a water main break on July 16, 2026. -
Aerial view of flooded streets in West Hollywood following a water main break on July 16, 2026. -
Aerial view of flooded streets in West Hollywood following a water main break on July 16, 2026. -
A broken water main sent water gushing out of an apartment building and turned streets into rivers in West Hollywood on July 16, 2026. (KTLA) -
A broken water main sent water gushing into a parking garage in West Hollywood on July 16, 2026. (KTLA) -
Floodwaters from a water main break push parked cars into one another in West Hollywood. July 2026. (KTLA) -
Floodwaters from a water main break push parked cars into one another in West Hollywood. July 2026. (KTLA) -
Residents stand at the entrance to an apartment parking garage as floodwaters from a water main break rush past in West Hollywood. July 2026. (KTLA) -
A parking garage is seen flooding following a water main break in West Hollywood on Thursday, July 16, 2026. (KTLA) -
Floodwaters from a water main break push parked cars into one another in West Hollywood. July 2026. (KTLA) -
Floodwaters from a water main break push parked cars into one another in West Hollywood. July 2026. (KTLA) -
Floodwaters from a water main break push parked cars into one another in West Hollywood. July 2026. (KTLA) -
A broken water main sent water gushing into the streets of West Hollywood on July 16, 2026. (KTLA)
“First and foremost is our crews’ safety,” a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power spokesperson said Thursday. “When we excavate, we are going to have to make sure the area is safe before we send crews in to proceed and start the actual repairs on the pipe.”
The water main ruptured around 3 a.m. Thursday, sending thousands of gallons of water rushing through West Hollywood streets, flooding dozens of garages and pushing parked cars into one another.
A Metro bus yard was also flooded, leaving several buses partially submerged.
The force of the water washed away dirt and gravel supporting the roadway, creating a massive sinkhole on Sunset Boulevard and a smaller one near Palm Avenue, where two people fell in.
“I’m astounded by the massive sinkhole that has just opened up before our eyes,” KTLA’s Annie Rose Ramos reported Thursday from Palm Avenue.
The two men appeared to be uninjured.
As for the larger trunk line that burst beneath Sunset Boulevard, KTLA’s Carlos Herrera reported it was scheduled for replacement in 2031.
LADWP officials now hope to establish a repair timeline after getting a closer look at the damage Friday. For now, the intersection is expected to remain closed for anywhere from several days to several weeks.
The cause of the rupture remains under investigation.
-
Los Angeles, Ca16 minutes agoCybertruck driver arrested for DUI after Los Angeles pursuit crash
-
Detroit, MI40 minutes agoDER Weekends: Pathways for first-gen students at the University of Detroit Mercy – WDET 101.9 FM
-
San Francisco, CA52 minutes ago“There is no ceiling”: Welcome to Area AI
-
Dallas, TX58 minutes agoCowboys news: Dak Prescott embraces high expectations in Dallas
-
Miami, FL1 hour agoHow to watch France vs. England in the third-place FIFA World Cup match: TV channel, streaming, kickoff time
-
Boston, MA1 hour agoPolice investigating deadly shooting in Allston – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News
-
Denver, CO1 hour agoFormer strip club owner selling Castle Pines mansion for $8M
-
Seattle, WA1 hour ago‘Imagine you crushed a raccoon like a can’: Curley describes viral deformed ‘mutant’ Jimothy – MyNorthwest.com
