Republican Senator Jeff Wilson from Washington state has been granted bail in Hong Kong after being arrested for carrying an unregistered pistol in his carry-on luggage during a flight to the city. He is set to appear in court on October 30.
Wilson’s arrest occurred at Hong Kong airport when he arrived on a flight from San Francisco last Friday. In a statement from his office on Monday, the incident was described as an “honest mistake,” and it is expected to be resolved soon.
According to Wilson, he was unaware of the pistol’s presence in his briefcase when he passed through U.S. airport security. He only discovered the unloaded weapon mid-flight and promptly reported it to customs officials upon landing in Hong Kong.
Possession of firearms or ammunition without a license in Hong Kong carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in jail and a HK$100,000 ($12,800) fine. Wilson, who was on a five-week personal vacation to Southeast Asia with his wife, had his bail granted by a Hong Kong magistrate. His travel documents were confiscated, and he was ordered not to leave the city, as reported by Hong Kong’s Sing Tao Daily.
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is investigating the incident and issued a warning that traveling with firearms can result in fines of up to $15,000. In 2022, TSA confiscated a record-breaking 6,542 firearms from airport passengers.
Washington state’s Senate Republican leader, John Braun, is closely monitoring the situation, acknowledging that it appears to be an honest mistake on Senator Wilson’s part.
