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Two men from Texas have been charged by a federal grand jury for allegedly plotting a violent takeover of an island near Haiti. Their scheme involved killing all the men and enslaving the women and children for sexual purposes.
Gavin Rivers Weisenberg, aged 21, and Tanner Christopher Thomas, aged 20, face serious charges including conspiracy to commit murder, maim, or kidnap abroad, along with producing child pornography. These charges were announced by the U.S. Department of Justice.
During court proceedings, it was revealed that Weisenberg and Thomas planned to lead an unlawful mission to Gonâve Island, part of Haiti. Their goal was to fulfill their violent fantasies by recruiting an illegal armed force. They intended to purchase a sailboat, arms, and ammunition, and even sought to enlist homeless individuals in Washington, D.C. to join their sinister mission.
Located in the Gulf of Gonâve, the island is the largest among Haiti’s satellite islands and is home to approximately 87,000 people.
The duo’s plans were meticulously crafted over nearly a year, from August 2024 to July 2025. They went as far as learning Haitian Creole, enlisting others in their plot, and investigating educational opportunities to gain skills necessary for their intended invasion.
Thomas, prosecutors said, went so far as to enlist in the US Air Froce in order to acquire “military skills relevant to the invasion plan.”
The murder conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted. The two face 15 to 30 years in prison on the child pornography charge, provided they aren’t pardoned.
Prosecutors did not indicate how they learned of the plot but said it was investigated by the FBI, the US Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and the Celina Police Department.
According to KDFW, the two took classes in Haitian Creole from July 2024 to May 2025. Weisenberg enrolled in the North Texas Fire Academy to gain skills for the plot in August 2024 but flunked out in February 2025. He then bought tickets to Thailand to enroll in a sailing course, but he did not enroll when he arrived because it was too expensive.
In March, Thomas — who had joined the Air Force in January — changed his assignment in Germany to one in Maryland, where he planned to recruit homeless people from the DC area.
The child pornography charge relates to an allegation that the two forced a minor to engage in sex acts on camera in August 2024.
Weisenberg was arrested in July on his charges, KDFW said. Jail records show Thomas was arrested on Thursday and is being held without bond on a federal hold. It’s not clear where Weisenberg is being held.