Two men from Texas have been accused of plotting a violent takeover of a Haitian island, aiming to kill male inhabitants and enslave the women and children, according to federal prosecutors on Thursday.
Gavin Rivers Weisenburg, 21, from Allen, and Tanner Christopher Thomas, 20, from Argyle, face charges of conspiracy to commit murder, maim, or kidnap abroad, as well as producing child pornography, as stated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas.
Prosecutors allege, “Weisenburg and Thomas planned to eliminate all the men on the island to enslave the women and children for sexual purposes.”
Image of Tanner Christopher Thomas, 20, from Argyle, Texas. (Comal County Jail)
From August 2024 to July 2025, the pair purportedly planned to seize control of Gonave Island to fulfill their criminal ambitions, as indicated in court documents.
They reportedly intended to purchase a sailboat, along with firearms and ammunition, while enlisting homeless individuals from Washington, D.C. to act as mercenaries during their attempted coup on Gonave Island, prosecutors revealed.
Haitians on a boat next to the Cariesse Terminal Ferry travel to Gonave Island, located west of the coast of Port-au-Prince. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)
Authorities allege the pair took steps to prepare for the invasion, including learning Haitian Creole, attempting to recruit others and enrolling in schools to gain skills that would help them carry out the invasion.
Thomas even joined the U.S. Air Force to receive relevant military training, according to prosecutors.
A view of Gonave Island, which has a population of roughly 100,000. (Google Maps)
In addition to the alleged invasion plan, both men are accused of producing child pornography.
Gonave Island, located in the Gulf of Gonave, has a population of roughly 100,000, according to La Gonave Haiti Partners.
If convicted, Weisenburg and Thomas each face up to life in federal prison for the conspiracy charge. The child pornography charge carries between 15 and 30 years in federal prison.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
