Two North Texas men are facing charges after allegedly plotting to invade an island off Haiti, kill all the men and turn the women and children into their sex slaves, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Texas.
U.S. Attorney Jay R. Comb announced on Thursday 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 and production of child pornography. The two-count indictment was returned by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas.
Between August 2024 and July 2025, Weisenburg and Thomas allegedly schemed to recruit and lead an illegal “mercenary force” to the Island of Gonave, part of the Republic of Haiti, “for the purpose of carrying out their rape fantasies,” court documents state.
Weisenburg and Thomas had plans to purchase a sailboat, firearms and ammunition as well as recruit homeless people from Washington, D.C. to serve as their “mercenary force” as they invaded the Island of Gonave and staged a coup d’etat.
The two men created operational and logistical plans and learned to speak the Haitian Creole language, court documents allege, as well as recruited others to join their invasion and enrolled in schools to learn the skills needed for their invasion plan. Thomas enlisted in the U.S. Air Force to learn relevant military skills.
Both men are also charged with the production of child pornography in a related count in the indictment.
If convicted of the federal conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country, Weisenburg and Thomas face up to life in federal prison. If convicted of the federal production of child pornography charges, both face at least 15 years and up to 30 years in federal prison.
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