Two Texan men plotted to invade an island off the coast of Haiti with an “army of homeless mercenaries” to murder the men on the island, and use the women and children as sex slaves, US Attorney Jay R. Combs said on Thursday.
Gavin Rivers Weisenburg, 21, and Tanner Christopher Thomas, 20, both from the state of Texas, in the US, were indicted by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas, which charged them with conspiracy to murder, maim, or kidnap in a foreign country and production of child pornography.
“Information presented in court indicates that between August 2024 and July 2025, Weisenburg and Thomas are alleged to have conspired to recruit and lead an unlawful expeditionary force to the Island of Gonave, which is part of the Republic of Haiti, for the purpose of carrying out their rape fantasies,” read the announcement by the US Attorney’s office.
According to Thomas's attorney, John Helms, his client "never actually tried to do any of this." In contrast, David Finn, Weisenburg’s attorney, said he encourages everyone to "tap the brakes" before the trial. Attorneys for both men said they will enter not guilty pleas.
Boats, guns, recruiting homeless men, and even enlisting in the Air Force
According to the investigation, Weisenburg and Thomas undertook several steps to prepare for their plan, including developing operational and logistical plans, learning Haitian Creole, recruiting others to join the invasion, and researching and enrolling in schools to acquire skills relevant to the invasion.
The announcement also mentioned that Thomas even enlisted in the US Air Force to “acquire military skills relevant to the invasion plan.”
The plan involved purchasing a sailboat, firearms, and ammunition, then recruiting members of the District of Columbia-area homeless population to serve as a mercenary force as they invaded Gonave Island and staged a coup d'etat.
“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,” read the indictment.
The US Attorney’s office shared that both Weisenburg and Thomas now face at least 15 years and up to 30 years in federal prison if found guilty of the federal production of child pornography charges.
They would face up to life in federal prison if they are convicted of the charges of the federal conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country.