<body><div> A Washington state senator said he was arrested after landing at the Hong Kong International Airport for carrying a gun not registered in the city. Jeff Wilson, a Republican from Longview, was taken into custody on Saturday at the airport while&nbsp;traveling with his wife on the first leg of a five-week vacation in Southeast Asia, according to his office and local media reports. Wilson, 63, is charged with carrying a firearm without a license, according to the city's <a href="https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1724473-20231024.htm" rel="nofollow"> public broadcaster RTHK </a> . <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1YvX90_0pF9FjOh00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1YvX90_0pF9FjOh00" width="300" height="375" ><figcaption>Washington state Sen. Jeff Wilson, a Republican from Longview, Washington, was arrested on Saturday after landing in Hong Kong with a firearm not registered in the city. He was charged with carrying a firearm without a license and is due back in court on Monday. City of Longview</figcaption></figure><nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> Wilson, who has served in the state senate since 2021 and <a href="https://www.portoflongview.com/35/COMMISSION" rel="nofollow"> a Port of Longview commissioner </a> since 2016, said he did not know his pistol was in his briefcase when he passed through airport security in Portland, Oregon. He said "baggage screeners failed to note it." What to know: <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/10/24/house-speaker-republicans-gop-candidates-votes/71290774007/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Republicans rush to pick their next speaker nominee as the House grinds to a halt </a><h2 class="presto-h2 wp-block-heading"> Sen. Wilson to reappear back in court on firearm charge </h2> Wilson appeared before Sha Tin Court on Monday and was granted bail, RTHK reported, and is due back in court next Monday. "Press accounts indicating that the weapon was discovered during a bag check are incorrect," Wilson said. According to Wilson, he discovered the weapon midflight between San Francisco and Hong Kong, when he "reached into his briefcase for a piece of gum, and felt his unloaded revolver inside." <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> When the plane landed, he said, he "immediately went to customs officials" and alerted them. U.S. Israel and Ukraine help: <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/10/24/biden-mcconnell-sell-republicans-israel-aid/71291032007/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Joe Biden and Mitch McConnell both try to sell Republicans on aid </a><h2 class="presto-h2 wp-block-heading"> 'An honest mistake' </h2> Wilson called the incident "an honest mistake" and said he expected the case "to be resolved shortly." The senator said he was on a personal vacation "at his own expense." Wilson, who said he holds a concealed pistol license, said although the firearm was not registered in Hong Kong, it is registered in Washington state. A spokesperson for the Hong Kong International Airport could not immediately be reached by USA TODAY on Tuesday. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2023/10/24/jeff-wilson-washington-senator-gun/71298148007/" rel="nofollow"> Washington state senator arrested after landing at Hong Kong airport with unregistered gun </a></div></body>

Mountain View, CA

Jeff Wilson, a Republican from Washington state, was taken into custody at the airport after he was found with an unregistered gun while traveling.