PLANO, Texas — Two men from North Texas have been indicted on charges related to a plot to invade an island off Haiti, murder its male inhabitants, and enslave the women and children, according to U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Gavin Rivers Weisenburg, a 21-year-old from Allen, and Tanner Christopher Thomas, a 20-year-old from Argyle, face charges of conspiracy to murder, maim, or kidnap in a foreign country, as well as production of child pornography.
Between August 2024 and July 2025, Weisenburg and Thomas allegedly conspired to recruit and lead an unlawful expeditionary force to the Island of Gonave, part of the Republic of Haiti, to fulfill their criminal intentions.
The indictment claims they planned to purchase a sailboat, firearms, and ammunition, and recruit members of the District of Columbia-area homeless population to serve as a mercenary force for their coup d’état on Gonave Island.
The indictment details that Weisenburg and Thomas intended to kill all the men on the island and enslave the women and children. They reportedly engaged in various preparatory activities, including making operational plans, learning Haitian Creole, recruiting others, and acquiring relevant skills. Thomas even enlisted in the U.S. Air Force to gain military expertise pertinent to their plan.
If convicted of the federal conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country, both men could face life in federal prison. The production of child pornography charges carries a potential sentence of 15 to 30 years in federal prison.
The case is being investigated by the FBI, U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and Celina Police Department, with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Locker.
A grand jury indictment is not evidence of guilt, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law, stated the press release.