In this explosive Blood Trails miniseries, a dream Caribbean vacation becomes every hunter's worst nightmare.

When Oklahoma hunter Ryan Watson is stopped at the Turks and Caicos airport after security discovers four forgotten rifle cartridges inside an old duffel bag, he expects to lose the ammunition and catch his flight home. Instead, he and his wife are taken away by plainclothes officers, threatened with 12 years in prison, and thrust into a justice system that will change their lives forever.

As more American hunters are caught in the same legal trap, a disturbing pattern begins to emerge. What initially appears to be a simple customs violation unfolds into a story of harsh mandatory sentencing, questionable law enforcement tactics, filthy jails, and a prison that human rights investigators say is unfit for human habitation.

In Chapter 1 of Blood Trails: Paradise Prison, host Jordan Sillars follows the first Americans caught in Turks and Caicos' sweeping firearms crackdown, revealing how an honest mistake became an international incident—and why what happened next was far more complicated than the headlines ever suggested.

How do a handful of forgotten hunting cartridges lead to a global diplomatic controversy? It all starts here.

Want more Blood Trails? Check out the Case File.

Follow Blood Trails on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, iHeart, Pandora, Amazon.

Connect with Jordan Sillars and MeatEater

MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube

Blood Trails on Instagram

Jordan Sillars on Instagram

MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube Clips

In this explosive Blood Trails miniseries, a dream Caribbean vacation becomes every hunter's worst nightmare.
When Oklahoma hunter Ryan Watson is stopped at the Turks and Caicos airport after security discovers four forgotten rifle cartridges inside an old duffel bag, he expects to lose the ammunition and catch his flight home. Instead, he and his wife are taken away by plainclothes officers, threatened with 12 years in prison, and thrust into a justice system that will change their lives forever.
As more American hunters are caught in the same legal trap, a disturbing pattern begins to emerge. What initially appears to be a simple customs violation unfolds into a story of harsh mandatory sentencing, questionable law enforcement tactics, filthy jails, and a prison that human rights investigators say is unfit for human habitation.
In Chapter 1 of Blood Trails: Paradise Prison, host Jordan Sillars follows the first Americans caught in Turks and Caicos' sweeping firearms crackdown, revealing how an honest mistake became an international incident&mdash;and why what happened next was far more complicated than the headlines ever suggested.
How do a handful of forgotten hunting cartridges lead to a global diplomatic controversy? It all starts here.
Want more Blood Trails? Check out the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.themeateater.com/series/blood-trails-case-files">Case File</a>.
Follow Blood Trails on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blood-trails/id1848185680">Apple</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3WRqMmdRVZ3MjOZb0uK0ob?si=e9a15992ce65400a">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIQv7voZWHy4_K5Yu3T9pgFXpFzQDiCsf">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-blood-trails-301855865">iHeart</a>, <a href="https://www.pandora.com/podcast/blood-trails/PC:1001110258">Pandora</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/85c4a194-a3e7-435c-bd54-9f8653bce49b/blood-trails">Amazon</a>.
Connect with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.themeateater.com/people/jordan-sillars">Jordan Sillars</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.themeateater.com/">MeatEater</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@MeatEaterPodcastNetwork">MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube</a>
Blood Trails on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bloodtrailspod/">Instagram</a>
Jordan Sillars on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/jordan.sillars/">Instagram</a>
MeatEater on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meateater">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/StevenRinellaMeatEater/">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/MeatEaterTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAaa0mleeU128Ad5iM1RFIg">Youtube</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@MeatEaterClips">Youtube Clips</a>

Blood Trails is a new investigative podcast from MeatEater, hosted by writer and journalist Jordan Sillars. Each episode digs into true crime stories from the world of hunting and fishing—cases where the woods and the water became the backdrop for violence and mystery. From missing hunters deep in public land to poachers turned killers and fishing trips gone fatally wrong, Blood Trails uncovers the moments when outdoor life collides with the darkness of the human heart. But this isn't repackaged Wikipedia. Each story features original reporting you won't hear anywhere else, expert insight from detectives and hunters, and first-hand accounts from the people who were actually there. For true crime listeners looking for something new—and outdoorsmen who know the thrill and risk of time afield—Blood Trails exposes the stories left behind in the tracks. If you’re a fan of Dateline, Criminal, or Bear Grease but want your true crime set in the wild places you know, this podcast is for you.

Blood Trails is a new investigative podcast from MeatEater, hosted by writer and journalist Jordan Sillars. Each episode digs into true crime stories from the world of hunting and fishing&mdash;cases where the woods and the water became the backdrop for violence and mystery. From missing hunters deep in public land to poachers turned killers and fishing trips gone fatally wrong, Blood Trails uncovers the moments when outdoor life collides with the darkness of the human heart. But this isn't repackaged Wikipedia. Each story features original reporting you won't hear anywhere else, expert insight from detectives and hunters, and first-hand accounts from the people who were actually there. For true crime listeners looking for something new&mdash;and outdoorsmen who know the thrill and risk of time afield&mdash;Blood Trails exposes the stories left behind in the tracks. If you&rsquo;re a fan of Dateline, Criminal, or Bear Grease but want your true crime set in the wild places you know, this podcast is for you.

Blood Trails

Paradise Prison: Chapter 1

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/a72992bb-9c5c-4188-b564-b4880032ca69/transcript