🔫 Ex-US Army officer hit with hefty fine for loaded magazine in Cayman Islands

Retired US Army Lt. Col. Terry Torraca has been fined $22,000 for bringing a loaded magazine into the Cayman Islands. Torraca, from Franklin, Tennessee, was stopped by security staff at Owen Roberts International Airport in early March. He immediately apologized to authorities, stating he had forgotten to check the pocket of his carry-on bag where the ammunition was found before his trip. In addition to the fine, Torraca was ordered to pay $500 in costs when he appeared in court last month, pleading guilty to possession of unlicensed ammunition.🔒

Travelers from the US, where gun laws are much more lenient, often face fines ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 when they arrive in the Cayman Islands with stray bullets, casings, and rounds of ammunition due to negligence or forgetfulness. Despite the severe penalties for being found with ammunition, these travelers typically do not serve jail time and are usually discharged by the court without a criminal conviction being recorded. Torraca's fine is believed to be one of the largest handed down in a lower court to a traveler who has brought ammunition into the Cayman Islands, either through ignorance or indifference towards local laws.🏛️