(NewsNation) — Bryan Hagerich, Ryan Watson, Tyler Wenrich and Michael Evans were charged for collectively carrying 33 rounds of ammunition after authorities found bullets they say were accidentally left their luggage.
Hagerich said he’s “absolutely terrified” about the possibility of prison time.
“We’re all human. We all make mistakes,” Hagerich said during a Tuesday appearance on “CUOMO.” “It can happen to you. For those that don’t think it can, it certainly can.”
Watson also joined the conversation on “CUOMO,” sharing his recollection of the incident.
“I’ve never flown with ammunition. I’ve hunted my entire life. From the bottom of my heart, I have no recollection of ever putting the ammunition in that bag.”
The governor of Oklahoma says he is working behind the scenes to help free the four Americans.
Gov. Kevin Stitt, during an appearance Tuesday on “Morning in America,” called the charges against the four men, which includes one Oklahoman, “absurd.”
The men said the bullets were “unknowingly left in a duffel bag from a deer hunting trip” that went unnoticed by airport authorities when they left the United States.
In Turks and Caicos Islands, which is a British territory, no firearms, weapons or stray bullets are allowed. Local authorities strictly enforce firearms and ammunition-related laws.
Turks and Caicos said in a statement that it is “the travelers’ responsibility to ensure their baggage is free of” weapons and ammunition, which is “strictly forbidden” without prior permission.
The men could face a minimum 12-year prison sentence.
Stitt said he has been speaking with the governor of Turks and Caicos as well as the British government in an effort to bring the men home.
He is also working with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, several senators and the State Department to assist the men.
NewsNation’s Safia Samee Ali contributed to this report.
