Texas men allegedly planned Haitian island invasion, faces life in prison

Two North Texas men have been indicted on federal charges after allegedly plotting a violent takeover of an island off the coast of Haiti with the stated intent to kill its male population and enslave women and children.

US Attorney Jay R. Comb announced that Gavin Rivers Weisenburg, 21, of Allen, and Tanner Christopher Thomas, 20, of Argyle, have been charged with conspiracy to murder, maim, or kidnap in a foreign country, as well as production of child pornography. The two-count indictment was returned by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas, CBS News reports.

According to court documents, between August 2024 and July 2025, Weisenburg and Thomas allegedly devised a plan to recruit and lead an illegal “mercenary force” to Gonâve Island, part of the Republic of Haiti, “for the purpose of carrying out their rape fantasies.”

The men purportedly intended to purchase a sailboat, firearms, and ammunition, and planned to recruit homeless individuals from Washington, D.C. to serve as their “mercenary” unit for what they envisioned as an armed invasion and coup d’état on the island.

Investigators say the pair developed detailed operational and logistical plans, attempted to learn Haitian Creole, and sought to recruit additional participants. Court documents further allege that both men enrolled in educational programs to acquire skills they believed would support their plot, and that Thomas enlisted in the US Air Force to gain relevant military training.

If convicted of the federal conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country, Weisenburg and Thomas each face up to life in federal prison. On the count of producing child pornography, they each face a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison.

By Vafa Guliyeva