This story is gonna need a lot of shares to create enough pressure to get this dad home.
An absolute travesty.
I can't even begin to think that this very innocent, regrettable mistake would prevent me from being about to watch my son graduate or teach him to shave or take my daughter to dances.
No words, ladies and gentlemen. No words.
Turks and Caicos is a chain of Caribbean islands just north of the Dominican Republic. We're not talking about some faraway country here:
A coworker of Ryan Watson sent us this link to a GoFundMe for the family. From that page:
The Watsons were in Turks and Caicos with multiple couples celebrating several of their friend's [sic] 40th birthdays. They had their lives turned upside down when they tried to return home, as local airport security found four rounds of ammunition unknowingly left in a duffel bag from a deer hunting trip. It was not noticed by TSA when leaving America.
What a clown show! We can't even wear our shoes through security but the massive American TSA failed to notice what some island security found??
Now, they are facing a legal system that is unfamiliar, daunting, and expensive that operates differently than the American Justice System.
The family's friends have raised $107,000 of the $250,000 they are seeking to help with legal fees.
As their community, we are rallying to support them, but we cannot do it alone. We urgently need your help to cover the escalating legal costs and ensure the Watsons have the basic necessities during this challenging time. Your donation, no matter the size, will contribute directly towards reuniting the Watson family and bringing them safely back home.
From Valerie's grandmother:
You may contact the office of the Premier of Turks and Caicos by calling 1 (649) 338-5744 or emailing [email protected]. The office's X page is here and its posts are already being flooded with comments.
The government general contact line 1 (649) 946-2801 and its email is [email protected].
There is no U.S. consulate in Turks and Caicos, so the embassy in The Bahamas has jurisdiction. They may be contacted on X here or at (242) 322-1181.
Your representatives should also hear about this story, particularly if you live in Oklahoma. Senator James Lankford may be contacted here and Senator Markwayne Mullin may be reached here.
The more pressure from the more people that makes Turks and Caicos look unpleasant to do business with, the faster this dad can get home.
After all, the island protectorate has made its point. No one will ever forget to triple check their bags again before they visit the islands.
That is, if people even visit the Turks and Caicos after this.
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