Tweets get British visitors sent home

Britons traveling to the United States have been warned to watch their language after two friends were denied entry based on phone tweets, officials said. Before his intended U.S. trip, Leigh Van Bryan tweeted he was going to "destroy America." He insisted he simply meant he was going to have a rousing good time but he was sent home, the BBC reported Tuesday. The U.S. Department for Homeland Security picked up Bryan's messages ahead of his planned holiday in Los Angeles with friend Emily Bunting, and both were apprehended on arrival in LA before being sent home. "The Homeland Security agents were treating me like some kind of terrorist," Bryan said. "I kept saying they had got the wrong meaning from my tweet." Abta, a trade association representing travel companies in Britain, warned holidaymakers to be ultra-cautious when it comes to talking about forthcoming trips. "Posting statements in a public forum which could be construed as threatening -- in this case saying they are going to 'destroy' somewhere -- will not be viewed sympathetically by U.S. authorities," Abta told the BBC. In a statement, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency said it attempts to maintain a balance between "securing our borders while facilitating the high volume of legitimate trade and travel that crosses our borders every day. "We strive to achieve that balance and show the world that the United States is a welcoming nation."