Florida Secretary of State Byrd works to return Floridian following arrests in island nation

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd announced on Tuesday that he has been in communication with the government of the Turks and Caicos Islands regarding the arrest of a Floridian.

“Sunday and Monday I joined a Congressional delegation accompanied by State Department and US Embassy officials to discuss with the TCI government the situation regarding Floridian Sharitta Grier and other American citizens currently detained in the Turks and Caicos,” Byrd said on social media.

“My first mission was to verify the safety and welfare of Ms. Grier and the other Americans on the island,” he continued. “Second was to determine how we can expedite their release and prevent this from happening to other Americans in the future. I appreciate the efforts of all involved.”

According to a statement by the islands’ police department, Grier was found to have had ammunition in her possession during a routine search at the Howard Hamilton International Airport.

Grier appeared in the Magistrate Court on Friday and was scheduled to have a sufficiency hearing on July 5.

Other Americans have reportedly been arrested and are awaiting trial on the island for similar ammunition charges.

“I felt like they were doing their job, which is representing Turks and Caicos. We went there doing our job, representing the United States with real concerns,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Ok., a member of the delegation, told Good Morning America after the meeting.

“I mean, you have currently five Americans being charged… and among them all they had less than 20 bullets,” Mullin said.

The island nation recently tightened their gun restrictions, barring citizens from owning firearms or ammunition. Convictions result in a minimum 12 years in prison.