Title: Texas Men Charged in Disturbing Plot to Invade Haitian Island and Enslave Women and Children
Two Texas men, Gavin Rivers Weisenburg and Tanner Christopher Thomas, have been charged in a disturbing plot involving invading an island off Haiti, murdering the men on the island, and using the women and children as sex slaves. The indictment, returned by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas, accuses them of conspiracy to murder, maim, or kidnap in a foreign country and production of child pornography. The alleged plan spanned from August 2024 to July 2025, during which Weisenburg and Thomas planned to recruit and lead an unlawful expeditionary force to the Island of Gonave in Haiti to fulfill their rape fantasies. They intended to purchase a sailboat, firearms, and ammunition, recruit homeless individuals from the District of Columbia area as mercenaries, and stage a coup d'etat on the island by murdering all the men and enslaving the women and children.
Weisenburg and Thomas took several steps to advance their invasion plan, including making operational and logistical arrangements, learning Haitian Creole, recruiting others, and enrolling in schools to acquire relevant skills. Thomas even joined the U.S. Air Force to gain military expertise for the plan. The indictment also includes charges of producing child pornography. If convicted of the conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country, the defendants could face life imprisonment, while the production of child pornography charges carry a sentence of at least 15 years and up to 30 years in federal prison.
The investigation into this case involves the FBI, U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and Salina Police Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Locker prosecuting the case. It is important to note that a grand jury indictment does not indicate guilt, and all defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.