Two young Texas men have been arrested and indicted in federal court on charges stemming from an alleged conspiracy to launch an armed takeover of a small Haitian island, murder all adult males living there, and enslave the island’s women and children as “sex slaves,” according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Gavin Weisenburg, 21, of Allen, Texas, and Tanner Thomas, 20, of Argyle, Texas, were charged with conspiracy to kidnap or kill persons in a foreign country. This crime carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Both men also face a separate count of producing child pornography, punishable by up to 30 years behind bars.
Federal prosecutors say the two began plotting in August 2024, using social media to coordinate plans that included:
- Murdering every man on Gonave Island, a 287-square-mile island northwest of Port-au-Prince, home to roughly 87,000 people
- Capturing and sexually enslaving the island’s women and children
- Recruiting homeless individuals from Washington, D.C., as foot soldiers
- Transporting firearms, ammunition, and explosives to Haiti by sailboat
As much as these plans may seem implausible, investigators say the two men were very serious about, and capable of, attempting an armed takeover of the island.
Prosecutors allege Thomas enlisted in the Air Force in January 2025 specifically to gain combat training for the coup. In March, he successfully requested a transfer from Ramstein Air Base in Germany to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, according to NPR, a move authorities say was intended to make it easier to recruit from D.C.’s homeless population.
Weisenburg, meanwhile, enrolled in the North Texas Fire Academy in Rockwall in August 2024 to acquire tactical skills, though he reportedly washed out of the program six months later. Documents also state he even traveled to Thailand to attend sailing school in preparation for purchasing a vessel to ferry weapons across the Caribbean.
Both defendants took Haitian Creole lessons, researched military-style rifles, and discussed the logistics of the attack in detail, according to the 28-page indictment.
Weisenburg’s attorney, David Finn, told reporters that his client will plead not guilty.
“While there is some limited factual basis to the Government’s Press Release, I’m reminded that something can be somewhat accurate yet wildly misleading at the same time,” Finn told NPR.
NPR reported that the attorney told the outlet his client will plead not guilty and that his team will be “defending him vigorously against these charges.”
The indictment comes as Haiti continues to grapple with widespread gang violence and political instability. Gonave Island itself has remained somewhat isolated from the chaos gripping the mainland, making it an unlikely — and particularly vulnerable — target.
Weisenburg and Thomas remain in federal custody awaiting trial.