TULSA, Okla. — Eastern Oklahoma Congressman Josh Brecheen (R) is urging all Americans to stay away from the island nation of Turks and Caicos for a while saying the island leaders expressed anti-American rhetoric during talks about Americans being arrested for having loose bullets in their luggage.
This year, five Americans have been arrested under the nation’s new strict anti-gun laws that punish people who don’t just have guns but also have stray ammunition in their possession. The nation said it’s trying to crack down on heavy gang violence where murder was happening openly in their streets on a near daily basis.
However, it was when a bipartisan Congressional delegation, including Brecheen and Oklahoma U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R), went down to speak with the island’s leaders about the recent arrests that Brecheen said anti-American sentiments began to be expressed at the table.
“They’ve got a faction in their government, of their parliament type set up, that has come in on an anti-gun platform so much so that one of the comments made to us is that we ought to look at suing the United States for manufacturing of weapons,” Brecheen said.
At the conversation between the two government officials, Brecheen said it was revealed that some citizens who had bullets found in their luggage had been free to return to their non-U.S. home countries with a simple fine and fast processing while Americans are being forced to rent apartments out of pocket long term for weeks while also being forced to hire a local attorney.
“They told us that we should be thankful that they were stopping these weapons from being let back into our country,” Brecheen said.
However, Brecheen said the crimes Americans are being arrested for do not match the intent of the law Turks and Caicos leaders tried to pass. Not a single American arrested had a firearm. All of the arrests on gun charges have been because of loose ammunition possession that all of those arrested say they either forgot or didn’t realize was in their luggage in the first place.
“There were no guns in play,” Brecheen said. “This has been bullets. Two bullets in one instance. Two bullets in another. Four. I think seven in one case, and then twenty. There’s been no guns. Its just been bullets.”
Brecheen said he didn’t decide to tell Americans to stay away from the island nation lightly because he honeymooned with his wife there years ago, but he said he and others on the trip are now warning people that it’s best to avoid the island for a while until the law is either changed or new government officials are in place that have more understanding and compassion for American tourists who fuel their economy.
“We understand that is a sovereign nation, and we don’t want to step on their shoes and ruin their shine, but we also have the power of the purse on our end,” he said.
Brecheen said the nation is not open to adjusting its laws at this time.
He said even if you don’t directly own a gun or come into contact with guns, you should look to the case of Orlando, Florida resident Sharrita Greer who shares her luggage with her family members. Someone in her family put ammunition in Greer’s luggage on a different occasion, and some of those bullets became lodged in the lining of her luggage. Greer had no idea stray bullets belonging to other family members were stuck in the lining of her luggage until her luggage was scanned and X-rayed at the Turks and Caicos airport.
“If you’re going to come to Turks and Caicos fly with a new bag,” he said. “For every other country, you don’t have to worry about that, but if you’re going to come to Turks and Caicos you better make sure you come with a new bag.”
Brecheen said when Oklahomans see interviews with Oklahoman Ryan Watson, they should note that behind him isn’t a prison cell. It’s an apartment he has to rent it out of pocket while his case plays out. He also has to pay out of pocket for an attorney to help him with his case. He is concerned Americans’ cases are intentionally being delayed.
“Where is the quick justice? Where is a speedy trial? Instead, it’s delay, delay, delay,” he said.
Brecheen said while some Americans have been allowed to pay a heavy fine and return home, he fears Watson and others could be forced to serve a sentence in a prison that has been determined under international law to have atrocious conditions.
“The prison, if they get put into prison, is sanctioned by the United Nations for inhumane conditions,” he said.
Watson will be sentenced on June 21.