American father Ryan Watson stuck in Turks and Caicos after leaving hunting bullets in his luggage speaks out from house arrest

An Oklahoma father facing 12 years in prison after bullets were found in his luggage has spoken of his anguish at being trapped in legal limbo on Turks and Caicos, saying it has been 'the most awful thing I have ever lived through.' 

In an interview with the Today Show, Ryan Watson, 40, said that his family are in the dark about his fate, and 'we can't set any kind of expectations on when I can be home to those kids.' 

'To not be with my kids, to not be home with Valerie right now, it's the most awful thing that I have ever lived through at this point,' he said.

He said getting back to his children is 'and always will be, my ultimate goal.'  

It comes as the TSA revealed it has launched a review of Oklahoma's Will Rogers World Airport after it missed the four hunting bullets landed the father in Turks and Caicos jail. 

Ryan Watson said in a new interview that his ordeal in Turks and Caicos has been 'the most awful thing I have ever lived through', and all he thinks about is getting home to his family 

Ryan (pictured with his wife Valerie and their two young children) is facing 12 years in prison in Turks and Caicos after a handful of deer hunting bullets were found in his 

Watson's wife insisted the bullets were an 'innocent mistake', after they were missed by American TSA on their departing flight from Oklahoma 

Watson has remained on the islands for weeks as he faces a June 7 court date, as his wife Valerie - who also faced prison before her charges were dropped Monday - revealed locals helped bail him out of jail. 

Valerie added that the ordeal has been just as hard on his family back home, because she 'doesn't know what is in store for Ryan' and 'I don't know what is going to happen with our kids.' 

She said the locals who helped bail her husband out of jail were their driver during their vacation, and a nearby restaurant owner they never met. 

'The fact that these people are willing to help us in this situation is so humbling because they’re complete strangers to us, and they’re taking a huge risk,' she told KOCO. 

'I just want people to know that we are not bad people. This was truly an honest mistake. Ryan is really a responsible gun owner. He really is. We have a safe. Everything is always locked up. It truly was an oversight.' 

Outrage over the strict law slapped on Watson has led to calls for a boycott of tourism to Turks and Caicos until he is released, with the nation's economy relying on American vacationers. 

The Oklahoma couple were on the Caribbean islands for a friend's 40th birthday, but Valerie said their trip quickly 'went from what was supposed to be a dream vacation to a nightmare.'

A small bag of bullets in a ziplock bag were found in his luggage, triggering questions as to how American TSA missed them when he left for the vacation through Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma. 

Ryan Watson and his wife Valerie (pictured together arriving at their Turks and Caicos vacation) spent weeks in Turks and Caicos, with Ryan's extended stay draining their finances 

Oklahoma's Will Rogers World Airport is facing a 'review' from TSA amid questions as to how its screeners allowed the bullets to fly without being impeded 

In an interview before their first court hearing, Valerie said the possibility of facing 12 years in prison left her 'terrified' because they have two young children 

Ryan and Valerie (right) were in Turks and Caicos for a birthday celebration with their friends, which Valerie said quickly 'went from what was supposed to be a dream vacation to a nightmare' 

Ryan was held in the Chalk Sound police station (pictured) until he posted bail, however he is unable to leave the island as his passport was seized 

TSA said it launched an investigation this week amid outrage as the father-of-two faces 12 years in prison on the Caribbean islands. 

'TSA is conducting a review at OKC, which was the originating airport,' TSA said in a statement, adding that it is 'aware' of the slip-up. 

However, several investigations in recent years have uncovered a shocking lapse in TSA screening effectiveness, with undercover agents from Homeland Security easily slipping banned objects past screeners. 

In 2017, ABC News reported that undercover agents found safety equipment or procedures failed over half the time, with a source revealing that the 'ballpark' failure rate was more like 80 percent. 

A previous investigation in 2006 also found that fake bombs slipped past TSA screeners 75 percent of the time at Los Angeles International Airport and 60 percent of the time at Chicago O'Hare, reported USA Today. 

In years past, ammunition possession only carried a small fine in Turks and Caicos, but in 2022, the nation passed stricter laws that mandated a 12-year minimum sentence for ammunition possession. 

The next year, US officials issued a travel alert specifically warning Americans about bringing firearms and ammunition into Turks and Caicos due to the escalation in the nation's firearm and ammunition laws. 

As Watson discussed his 'bonehead mistake' that landed him in hot water, he said in an interview before his first court hearing that his heart sank as soon as he saw the bullets, which he recognized from a recent white tail deer hunting trip.

'I recognized them and thought, 'what a bonehead mistake,'' he said. 'I had no idea that those were in there.'

The couple were forced to remain on the island as their passports were seized, and Ryan said officials brushed off his pleas that it was a 'complete innocent mistake.'

After weeks stuck on the Caribbean islands, cameras captured the moment Valerie was reunited with the couple's two young children in Oklahoma 

As an avid outdoorsman and hunter, Ryan said he accidentally left the bullets in his carry-on luggage from a recent deer hunting trip 

As she fights to bring her husband home, Valerie said she has only made it through the ordeal because she believes 'God’s still working and he’s working through us' 

Despite their insistence that the ammunition was accidentally left from a previous hunting trip, Turks and Caicos prosecutors maintained that the crime is a serious offense in the nation. 

Valerie said through tears that when she heard the mandatory sentence, she was 'immediately terrified, because we can't be in prison for 12 years, we have kids at home.' 

She spent 11 days on the island facing charges alongside her husband, but saw her charges dropped on April 22 and was allowed to return to their family in Oklahoma.

On Tuesday, cameras captured the heartfelt moment she hugged her children again for the first time in weeks, which she said was bittersweet as her husband's case remains in limbo.

'I’ve been thinking about this moment for a while, and I didn’t know when it was going to happen. I was prepared to also be arrested yesterday,' she told KOCO.

'I don't know if I even have words to describe it, just getting to hold them again. It just filled my momma heart and made me so happy.

'It just gives me a lot of comfort knowing that I get to be here with them now, but my wife heart is still breaking because Ryan is not with me.'

Valerie said she is still fighting to have her husband released from his criminal charges, with several prominent Oklahoma politicians including Governor Kevin Stitt and Senator Markwayne Mullin also lending their support.

In a letter to Turks and Caicos officials on April 16, Stitt explained that Ryan is an 'avid outdoorsman', and that leaving the ammunition in his bag was an oversight, not an intentional attempt to break the law.

Senator Mullin's office has also said it has been in contact with Watson's family, and is working to secure his freedom and flight back home.

'We know that God’s still working and he’s working through us,' Valerie added. 

Despite the outpouring of support, the couple said Ryan's extended stay and legal bills are financially and emotionally draining their family, which he said they may 'never recover from.'

A GoFundMe has been set up to help the couple with the costs, which at the time of writing had exceeded $106,000.

Ryan's social medias also show his passion for the outdoors, as he is seen riding horses and embracing his family in cowboy hats.