Oklahoma airport in hot water for failing to spot hunting bullets that landed ... trends now
Oklahoma's Will Rogers World Airport is under a TSA review after it missed four hunting bullets that have landed an American father in Turks and Caicos jail.
The airport safety body launched its investigation amid outrage as father-of-two Ryan Watson, 40, faces 12 years in prison on the Caribbean islands after a handful of bullets were found in his carry-on during his departing flight.
'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.
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.
Ryan Watson (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
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
Valerie 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 zip-lock 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.
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.
Will Rogers World Airport did not immediately respond to a request for comment when contacted by DailyMail.com.
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
In an interview before their first court hearing, Valerie said the possibility of facing 12 years in prison left her 'terrified' because
