US EditionFederal prosecutors say 2 Texas men made plans to take over a Haitian island
Two Texas men allegedly planned to recruit homeless mercenaries, purchase weapons and a sailboat, and carry out a violent coup on Gonâve Island to fulfill violent sexual crimes.
- On November 20, 2025, the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Texas, unsealed an indictment charging Gavin Rivers Weisenburg, 21, and Tanner Christopher Thomas, 20, with plotting to invade La Gonâve and produce child pornography.
- Between August 2024 and July 2025, court documents show the defendants learned Haitian Creole, researched sailboat and weapons purchases, and Thomas enlisted in the U.S. Air Force to recruit homeless people in Washington, D.C.
- Travel and training efforts included a trip to Thailand to learn sailing and enrollment attempts at a fire academy, where Weisenburg never enrolled due to cost and later failed out, while both men face child pornography charges involving a minor.
- The U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Texas, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Locker, prosecutes the case while the FBI and U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations investigate; defense attorneys say both men will plead not guilty.
- Gonâve, a roughly 90,000-resident island west of Port-au-Prince, is described by prosecutors as vulnerable due to its isolation and limited infrastructure, echoing past exploitation of Haitian communities.
106 Articles
106 Articles
Federal prosecutors say 2 Texas men made plans to take over a Haitian island
Federal prosecutors say two Texas men were making plans to take over a Haitian island, kill all of the men and then use the women and children for sex. Twenty-one-year-old Gavin Rivers Weisenburg and 20-year-old Tanner Christopher Thomas, who are…
Two Texans allegedly plotted to kill men on island with homeless mercenary force and take women and children as sex slaves
Federal prosecutors revealed a shocking indictment of two men from Texas who are accused of planning to assault the inhabitants of an island near Haiti and enslave the women and children.Gavin Rivers Weisenburg, 21, of Allen and Tanner Christopher Thomas, 20, of Argyle allegedly plotted a coup d'état on Gonâve Island, which is a part of the Republic of Haiti.Prosecutors said the two intended the plot to indulge their 'rape fantasies.'The plan in…
Two Texans allegedly plotted to kill men on island with homeless mercenary force and take women and children as sex slaves
Federal prosecutors revealed a shocking indictment of two men from Texas who are accused of planning to assault the inhabitants of an island near Haiti and enslave the women and children.Gavin Rivers Weisenburg, 21, of Allen and Tanner Christopher Thomas, 20, of Argyle allegedly plotted a coup d'état on Gonâve Island, which is a part of the Republic of Haiti.Prosecutors said the two intended the plot to indulge their 'rape fantasies.'The plan in…
US prosecutors say two Texans planned to recruit homeless to invade Haiti
DALLAS: Federal prosecutors say two Texas men plotted to take over a Haitian island, one going so far as joining the US military to acquire training for an armed attack, with the goal of killing all the men and using the women and children for sex Read full story
‘Invasion plan’: Two North Texas men face federal indictment over plot to murder, enslave people on Haitian island
Two North Texas men face federal charges after a grand jury indicted them for an alleged plot to invade an island off Haiti, murder the men living there, and enslave women and children.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 61% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
