In a shocking turn of events, a federal grand jury has charged two Texas men with plotting a violent takeover of an island near Haiti. The men allegedly intended to kill all the adult males on the island and enslave women and children for sexual purposes.
Gavin Rivers Weisenberg, aged 21, and Tanner Christopher Thomas, aged 20, face serious accusations of conspiracy to commit murder, maim, or kidnap in a foreign country, alongside charges related to child pornography, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
In court, prosecutors revealed that Weisenberg and Thomas had devised a plan to form and lead an illegal militant group to Gonâve Island, part of the Republic of Haiti, with the intent of fulfilling their grotesque fantasies. Their preparations included purchasing a sailboat, acquiring weapons and ammunition, and enlisting individuals from the homeless community in Washington, D.C., to aid in their scheme.
Gonâve Island, situated in the Gulf of Gonâve, is the largest satellite island of Haiti, with approximately 87,000 residents.
The duo’s planning spanned nearly a year, from August 2024 to July 2025, involving a series of strategic and logistical preparations. This included learning Haitian Creole, recruiting others for their plot, and enrolling in educational programs to gain skills necessary for their intended invasion.
Thomas took the plan a step further by joining the U.S. Air Force to gain military expertise pertinent to their intended operation, prosecutors stated.
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.
