Overview
- An Eastern District of Texas grand jury charged Gavin Rivers Weisenburg, 21, and Tanner Christopher Thomas, 20, with conspiracy to murder, maim, or kidnap in a foreign country and with production of child pornography.
- The indictment alleges a scheme to invade Gonâve Island, kill all men, enslave women and children, purchase a sailboat and weapons, and recruit a mercenary force from Washington, D.C.’s homeless population.
- Prosecutors say the pair prepared from August 2024 to July 2025 by studying Haitian Creole, drafting operational plans, and seeking skills through a fire academy and sailing instruction.
- According to court documents, Thomas enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and later changed his assignment to remain in the U.S. to continue planning and recruiting.
- The filing also accuses the defendants of coercing a minor to perform sex acts on camera on Aug. 31, 2024; Weisenburg was arrested on July 3, 2025, investigators include the FBI and Air Force OSI, and the charges carry potential sentences up to life in prison.