When he gets out of Caribbean jail there'll be a speaking gig at CPAC waiting.There's a GoFundMe with a $250k goal that has reached over $200k already.
U.S. tourist faces 12 years in prison after taking ammunition to Turks and Caicos
- Thread starter entremet
- Start date
Louie Gohmert gonna be waiting at arrival gate with an American flag.
There's nothing specifically related to politics about this (way more democrats own guns than you people seem to think), but many on this forum want to look at this through that lens so they can feel good about their joy at wanting this guy to rot in a foreign jail for years.
it's gross
I mean, they're not wrong. We've seen this exact thing play out in the past, the fact that he has a gofundme to get out of jail is pretty much assured he's going to talk at CPAC or an NRA meeting.
And it's quite well known that a lot of people in the US have guns, like absurd amounts on both sides... however I'd bet that the majority of people bringing ammo intentionally or accidentally into another country are republican/conservative lol.
TSA is performance theater.
Accidentally bringing your guns or ammo seems a common occurrence judging by the comments in this thread.
"Accidentally" bringing your guns or ammo is not a big deal (when you're white, I guess).
But sure, let's focus on other countries that are wrong.
Accidentally bringing your guns or ammo seems a common occurrence judging by the comments in this thread.
"Accidentally" bringing your guns or ammo is not a big deal (when you're white, I guess).
But sure, let's focus on other countries that are wrong.
OP
OP
I would agree. I've seen some comparison from the right of Brtiney Griner, which is a ridiculous.
T&C is not a corrupt dictatorial nuclear power. They are a tourist economy. Not the same at all. Plus, their Supreme Court has processed these in a timely manner, unlike Russia, who kept Griner for 10 months.
Yes, you want him to rot in jail because he's an evil conservative. I get it.
It's good to know that the next time this board tries to talk about rehabilitation over incarceration a good number of people are just bullshitting because they turn into Nayib Bukele when they can imagine a Republican suffering.
There is a medium between slap on the wrist and max allowable punishment. If anything he's lucky it's T&C. Many countries would be taking this guy behind the woodshed.
It's reasons like this why I keep a separate bag for cross border travel, and I recommend the same to friends. What is totally legal in one country can be super illegal in another and it's easy to go blind to things you don't give a second thought to every day.
I was traveling with friends once when one of my friends realized that they had a weed vape pen in their bag mid trip. They forgot they threw it in there after a concert and missed it when cleaning out the bag before the trip. They were super lucky that they got as far as they did without being caught.
It was an honest mistake and as soon as they realized what they had done, they had a bit of a panic attack when they realized how much trouble they'd be in if it was found.
Ever since then, we've all kept separate bags for travelling
I was traveling with friends once when one of my friends realized that they had a weed vape pen in their bag mid trip. They forgot they threw it in there after a concert and missed it when cleaning out the bag before the trip. They were super lucky that they got as far as they did without being caught.
It was an honest mistake and as soon as they realized what they had done, they had a bit of a panic attack when they realized how much trouble they'd be in if it was found.
Ever since then, we've all kept separate bags for travelling
A lot of tough of crime authoritarians in here about to bring back the broken windows policy. There's a lot of vindictive people looking for any excuse to act punitively against people they disagree with.
A lot of countries have very strict gun control laws for a good reason. Taking ammunition into those countries is a serious offence - for T&C the *minimum* sentence for this is supposed to be 12 years.
I'd imagine the US government can probably pressure T&C into ignoring their laws... But this type of action often goes down very badly with the local population - aka "US exceptionalism writ large".
The difference is most countries around the world don't think this is an "honest mistake". It's reckless ignorance with American exceptionalism layered in.
The guy hasn't been sentenced yet and it'll undoubtedly get reduced but most countries view arms smuggling as one of the most egregious crimes one can do when it comes border protection. Those laws are harsh for a reason, they're extremely effective at reducing gun crime.
If the guy had a handgun in there, would it still be excessive or still an honest mistake?
It seems the law changes recently from being a fine to jail time. Apparently, too many people were making "honest" mistakes. The repeated abuse of travelers, along with USA being the primary smugglers of guns to the island, is the reason for the crackdown.
The blame falls on the tourist gun owner, not the TSA or destination country for having strict laws pertaining to guns and ammo. Of course, it is an irresponsible white gun owner complaining about a possible 12-year sentence for HIS inability to control his guns and ammo.
Just because the USA is fine with mass shootings and having kids murders because "whoops" my kid got my gun doesn't mean the rest of the world has to import our BS gun culture.
A responsible gun owner would know where their ammo is at all time, because it should be locked up when not in use. You don't have to be rich and have multiple travel bags to perform simple routine checks. It does not take that long to dump everything out of one's bag and repack for an international trip.
The blame falls on the tourist gun owner, not the TSA or destination country for having strict laws pertaining to guns and ammo. Of course, it is an irresponsible white gun owner complaining about a possible 12-year sentence for HIS inability to control his guns and ammo.
Just because the USA is fine with mass shootings and having kids murders because "whoops" my kid got my gun doesn't mean the rest of the world has to import our BS gun culture.
A responsible gun owner would know where their ammo is at all time, because it should be locked up when not in use. You don't have to be rich and have multiple travel bags to perform simple routine checks. It does not take that long to dump everything out of one's bag and repack for an international trip.
For anyone saying
"It's just bullets what's the big deal, they can't kill without a gun"
Have you considered that it's easier to own a gun in a country with strict gun laws, than having bullets around?
That you can't just buy bullets in a random shop?
That the bullets you have for work (for example a hunter) are counted?
As a sport shooter, that you only ever get bullets into your hand at the gun range, again counted and searched for when you exit.
That as a gun owner, the government knows every instance of you buying munitions?
"It's just bullets what's the big deal, they can't kill without a gun"
Have you considered that it's easier to own a gun in a country with strict gun laws, than having bullets around?
That you can't just buy bullets in a random shop?
That the bullets you have for work (for example a hunter) are counted?
As a sport shooter, that you only ever get bullets into your hand at the gun range, again counted and searched for when you exit.
That as a gun owner, the government knows every instance of you buying munitions?
NBC Boston has some updates. Four Americans are currently being held on this charge. Three, including the person in the OP, have pled guilty. One man was sentenced last year to a 8 month sentence that they are currently serving.
www.nbcboston.com
www.nbcboston.com
US tourist describes ‘nightmare’ after arrest as he tried to reboard crusie ship in Turks and Caicos
The 31-year-old has been on Grand Turk Island since his arrest over two weeks ago.
www.nbcboston.com
US State Department apologizes to mother of American imprisoned in Turks and Caicos
Four Americans now face potential 12-year sentences for charges of ammunition possession after allegedly bringing bullets in their luggage while vacationing on the Islands of Turks and Caicos. NBC10 Boston was the first to break the story, which is now making international headlines. Teresa...
www.nbcboston.com
5th American arrested in Turks and Caicos for possession of ammo - National | Globalnews.ca
The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police said an American traveller was arrested at the Howard Hamilton International airport on May 13, 2024.
globalnews.ca
We are truly an embarrassing country. I can't believe this thread keeps getting updated with an another instance of misplaced ammo. Another month, another gun owner just having stray ammo tucked away into corner of their earthly possessions like loose change or lint.
I'm of many minds.
1) strongly anti gun
2) "fuck around find out / choices have consequences," when you go to foreign countries you have to be super fucking careful
3) accidentallly having bullets does not deserve a 12 year prison sentence.
1) strongly anti gun
2) "fuck around find out / choices have consequences," when you go to foreign countries you have to be super fucking careful
3) accidentallly having bullets does not deserve a 12 year prison sentence.
Reading this is just popping an audio clip in my head.
In the mid-90s, Barry Switzer was the coach of the Dallas Cowboys and there was an incident where he was being checked by pre-TSA airport security and found to have brought a gun into the airport. He gave this press conference talking about it, saying it was a mistake and he'd left the gun in a bag he later packed for travel. But there was just something very funny about the way he said, "My god, I forgot to take that pistol out of my bag" and now it's all I can hear thanks to this thread.
In the mid-90s, Barry Switzer was the coach of the Dallas Cowboys and there was an incident where he was being checked by pre-TSA airport security and found to have brought a gun into the airport. He gave this press conference talking about it, saying it was a mistake and he'd left the gun in a bag he later packed for travel. But there was just something very funny about the way he said, "My god, I forgot to take that pistol out of my bag" and now it's all I can hear thanks to this thread.
So far it appears that the longest sentence has been 8 months due to judgement by the…judge.
But, when the freaking US Embassy has to send a reminder within 6 months with the advice that they can't help US tourists who keep unknowingly break the law in T&C, I expect those sentences will start getting closer to that 12 year minimum.
How do you not notice bullets when you go to pack a bag for vacation? Like is there a ton of other shit in the bag you keep in there permanently that the bullets are hiding under??? What the fuck?
The kind of people who read State Department warnings are not the type of people who travel internationally with live ammunition.
Ironically, the second group likely intersect with those that care little for people that violate local laws due to ignorance. So it probably works out.
That'll be much more effective than, say, a warning sign at the check-in for every international flight.
We've got signs warning us not to bring cannabis on international flights. Why Americans can't have that for guns and ammo is bizarre.
We're talking a few individual rounds, those could easily get stuck at the bottom of a pocket or something, and even if you went looking you might not notice them.
That's what gets me about this.. they make it sound like he was smuggling massive amounts of ammo, hundreds or thousands of rounds, and it turns out to be... four. I get the laws and everything, but that's well inside the "oops" range as far as I'm concerned. Slap him with a fine or something, send him packing back to the States never to return, but potentially years in prison seems a bit much.
"Oops" is forgetting to get your Nintendo Switch out of your backpack at TSA, not forgetting that you committed snuggling because you were carrying parts of tools whose only purpose is for the murder of other things. Americans have such an insanely unhealthy relationship with guns and you can even see it here.
That's not to say 12 years is a fair punishment but these kinds of tourists shouldn't be surprised when many other countries are prepared to throw the book at them.
Last edited:
There are and plenty of illegal stuff gets taken away but it's only marginally effective and stuff slips through all the time.
I know it's been said time and again, but these people who got caught are the same ones who blasted Britney Griner in Russia saying that she should have known better and you need to follow the laws of the country you are visiting/travelling through.
It's fascinating how completely unhinged US-Americans are on guns, thinking that "random bullets flying around unaccounted for" is normal or just a small mistake that could happen to anyone.
In the real world, that's wildly reckless and proves you have no business owning a gun. Being this reckless with ammo is wild and it tells a lot about a person if they treat it like that.
This fetishization of guns is just weird, sorry.
In the real world, that's wildly reckless and proves you have no business owning a gun. Being this reckless with ammo is wild and it tells a lot about a person if they treat it like that.
This fetishization of guns is just weird, sorry.
Any number of bullets greater than zero is unacceptable and ridiculous. Guns and ammo should be taken seriously and if somebody wants to own either they can't be treating them like Skittles that spilled to the bottom of a bag and were forgotten.
This. And if you go to another country, read up that country. What flies in your home country might not fly in your destination country. Please follow the rules and laws of where you go. That shouldnt be hard.
the jail sentence is this long *specifically because nothing else worked as a detriment*
punitive measures don't generally scale well with deterring infractions, but I'm open to seeing the data behind this specific situation.
given how many of these situations are the perpetrators going "whoopsie, I forgot I brought my cargo pants with all the bullets in them lol" variety, there's something bigger at play here.
I don't think any punitive measure is a deterrent when you are completely fucking oblivious to the way the world works.
It's because TSA doesn't actually do anything other than make people feel a little safer.
Don't use your gun suitcase as your vacation suitcase.
That said, I do agree with you, but given how many of these there are, I don't blame the fines or sentences. Bullets kill people regardless of the number.
That's not really true, yes they are awful at it but they stop a lot of shit.
Yeah, I definitely agree with you there. I take my travel backpack to D&D, not to the range. I have dedicated bags for that.
Jail time seems excessive; he should probably be fined and deported. At the same time, I understand that non-Americans may be less than enthused about having guns or ammunition brought over from the US, even unintentionally. Fair enough; I wish we had less of them here too.
Well said. I agree 100%. The American reflex to downplay any gun offense as minor is terrifying. Americans need to understand that most of the civilized world does not view their fetishistic gun worship as a cute hobby.
