Federal prosecutors have announced charges against two Texas men accused of planning an armed attack on Gonâve Island, part of the Republic of Haiti, with the stated goal of killing the men on the island and enslaving the women and children.
The indictment was detailed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas.
According to the indictment, Gavin Rivers Weisenburg, 21, of Allen, and Tanner Christopher Thomas, 20, of Argyle allegedly began planning a coup d’état against the inhabitants of Gonâve Island and intended to form a mercenary force to carry out the attack.
Prosecutors said the plan included recruiting and training homeless individuals from the Washington, D.C., area to participate in the operation.
The press release stated, “Weisenburg and Thomas intended to murder all of the men on the island so that they could then turn all of the women and children into their sex slaves.”
Prosecutors said the plan was intended to fulfill what they described as “rape fantasies.”
Federal officials said the pair made progress on several components of the plot.
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The indictment states they studied the Haitian Creole language, recruited others into the scheme, and developed operational and logistical plans.
The plans included purchasing firearms, ammunition, and a sailboat to transport themselves and others to the island.
Investigators said Weisenburg enrolled in the North Texas Fire Academy in Rockwall in an effort to develop skills he believed would support the plan.
Thomas enlisted in the U.S. Air Force for the same purpose, according to prosecutors.
In addition to the conspiracy allegations related to the planned attack, Weisenburg and Thomas are charged with coercing a minor to commit sex acts on camera in August.
The indictment states that the planning for the alleged island operation took place between August 2024 and July 2025.
Gonâve Island has an estimated population of approximately 87,000 people and covers roughly 266 square miles.
Prosecutors said that if the alleged plan had been attempted, it would have posed a threat to the entire population.
If convicted of federal conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country, both defendants face a maximum sentence of life in prison.
They also face between 15 and 30 years in prison if convicted on the charge of production of child pornography.
