American arrested in Turks and Caicos says it is unclear whether the State Department was on the “US” or “Turkish side”

Bryan Hagerich, a father of two from Pennsylvania, has been home for nearly two weeks after being arrested in the Turks and Caicos Islands and held for more than 100 days for having ammunition lost in his luggage at an airport in the islands.

Hagerich, like four other Americans arrested for the same matter since February, was unaware that the ammunition was in his suitcase as he prepared to fly home after a vacation with his family. Nevertheless, he had to argue his way out of a minimum sentence of 12 years for the crime.

A judge eventually fined the 39-year-old former baseball pro $6,500 and allowed him to return home. Now Hagerich speaks about a lack of support from the State Department and what he called “anti-American sentiment” among TCI government officials — though he says locals went out of their way to be friendly and helpful.

“I was not contacted by the State Department after I was detained for over two months, I think over 70 days. When I was first contacted, it was after the story had already received national media attention,” Hagerich told Fox News Digital. “…One person (from the State Department) who came to the island more or less felt like they were just checking a box. It was pretty clear to them that we had committed a crime. We should basically go to jail for that.”

Pennsylvania father detained in Turks and Caicos Islands allowed to return home after paying fine for carrying ammunition

Bryan Hagerich is greeted by his family as he arrives in Pittsburgh, PA on Friday, May 24, 2024. Hagerich was arrested in the Turks and Caicos Islands for having loose ammunition in his luggage and released to the United States on probation. (Matthew Symons for Fox News Digital)

Hagerich also recalled a U.S. State Department official joking: “Why don’t you just jump on a boat? If you show up on American soil, they’ll have to let you back in.”

“Why don’t you just jump on a boat? If you show up on U.S. soil, they’ll have to let you back in.”

— Bryan Hagerich recalls a State Department official’s joke

Hagerich said the ministry’s handling of his situation “begs the question”: “Which side of the table are they on? The U.S. side or the Turkish side?”

“They really had nothing to offer,” he said.

Bryan Hagerich, a 39-year-old former professional baseball player and father of two from Pennsylvania. (Handout for families)

A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the safety of U.S. citizens abroad is not a higher priority for the department and U.S. embassies and consulates abroad.

If a U.S. citizen is detained in another country, the State Department will seek immediate opportunities to visit the person, the spokesman added.

Americans arrested on the Turks and Caicos Islands sleep together and pray together while waiting for the verdict: “One big family”

If a U.S. citizen is arrested abroad, the State Department stands ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance, the spokesman said, pointing out that U.S. citizens are generally subject to the laws of the country in question when traveling abroad, even if those laws differ from those in the United States.

Bryan Hagerich is greeted by his family as he arrives back in Pittsburgh, PA on Friday, May 24, 2024. Hagerich was arrested in the Turks and Caicos Islands for having loose ammunition in his luggage and was released to the United States on probation. (Matthew Symons for Fox News Digital)

For privacy reasons, the ministry did not provide further comment on the Americans recently arrested in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Hagerich also criticized the “anti-American sentiment” of the TCI officials who oversaw his case. Prosecutors compared him to an American killer and Brittney Griner, he said.

“You need to think of a different approach to solving this problem.”

— Bryan Hagerich

“Quite frankly, they’re better at arresting you American fathers, American mothers and grandmothers than they are at arresting their own people (at committing crimes),” Hagerich said. “When you look back and think about the homegrown violence they have on the island, they need to think of a different approach to solve the problem. I can honestly say that 95% of the regular, working people on the island have been extremely supportive.”

FLORIDA WOMAN IS THE 5TH AMERICAN ARRESTED IN THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS FOR CARRYING AMMUNITION

Since February, five more Americans have been arrested in the Turks and Caicos Islands for carrying ammunition. Two of them, Ryan Watson of Oklahoma and Sharitta Grier of Florida, are still awaiting sentencing.

Since February, five Americans have been arrested in the Turks and Caicos Islands for carrying ammunition at airports on the islands. From left to right: Michael Lee Evans (no photo), Bryan Hagerich, Tyler Wenrich, Ryan Watson and Sharitta Grier. (Turks and Caicos Islands Police/Dimitrios Kambouris)

One day, during a check at the police station, a local official said to Hagerich: “I can’t believe you’re still here. This has to be a money-making scheme. This has to be politically motivated,” Hagerich recalled.

“We went on vacation. Our biggest concern was that the kids had swimsuits, bathing suits and sunscreen,” Hagerich said. “We didn’t look for travel warnings. I didn’t think we were going to an area where we would feel unsafe.”

Michael Wenrich, a father from Virginia, was also arrested for having ammunition in his luggage – in his case, just two stray bullets that fell into the lining of his bag. He was released last week and fined $10,000.

REGARD:

“There’s still so much crime on this island that it’s pretty obvious it’s not deterring people,” Wenrich said. “So I think it would be beneficial for the tourists and the islanders if they could rethink the laws for cases where people don’t want to commit criminal acts.”

Wenrich said that, unlike Hagerich, he immediately contacted the Foreign Ministry after his arrest because his father had spoken up on his behalf.

Tyler Wenrich and his family pose with Rep. Bob Good upon his return to Richmond, Virginia, Thursday, May 30, 2024. Wenrich was fined $9,000 for unknowingly carrying ammunition in his luggage during his visit to the islands. (Image credit: Fox News Digital)

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“As the case went on, they stayed in touch. I felt like we had to reach out to them much more for help,” he said of the department. “I was fortunate enough to have one of the representatives attend my sentencing hearing, which was nice because they were able to see how the case goes, hear the arguments and kind of understand how chaotic it can be in that courtroom. I don’t know what they were doing behind the scenes.”

Both Hagerich and Wenrich thanked state and federal lawmakers, as well as their friends and families, for their support in returning home.