A cruise ship passenger faces serious legal consequences in Turks and Caicos after bullets were discovered in his bag during a routine security screening.
Tyler Scott Wenrich, a 32-year-old from Richmond, Virginia, was apprehended by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force and could potentially receive a 12-year prison sentence under the territory's new firearm laws. Wenrich appeared in court last week and is currently detained pending a hearing scheduled for June 7.
Although the specific ship on which Wenrich was traveling has not been disclosed by the police, it is noted that the Carnival Sunrise was docked in Grand Turk on the day of his arrest.
Wenrich's situation is reminiscent of other cases involving travelers inadvertently carrying ammunition. Ryan Watson was detained at an airport after leaving ammunition in his bag from a previous hunting trip, while Bryan Hagerich, a former professional baseball player, has been held since February for a similar oversight. Despite these incidents, there were no firearms involved, indicating unintentional lapses in security awareness.
For more Carnival Sunrise incidents and accidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page.