In a shocking development, two young men from North Texas have been indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiring to invade Gonâve Island, a Haitian territory with a population of 87,000. Gavin Rivers Weisenburg, 21, of Allen, and Tanner Christopher Thomas, 20, of Argyle, were charged on November 20, 2025, by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas. The indictment alleges that between August 2024 and July 2025, the duo plotted to recruit and lead a mercenary force to carry out a violent and depraved invasion of the island. Their plans included purchasing a sailboat, firearms, and ammunition, as well as recruiting homeless individuals from Washington, D.C., to form their unit. The men’s sinister objectives involved murdering all male inhabitants to enslave women and children for sexual exploitation. To execute their plan, Weisenburg and Thomas took concrete steps, such as learning Haitian Creole, enrolling in training courses, and even enlisting in the U.S. Air Force to acquire military skills. Weisenburg also traveled to Thailand to complete a sailing course. Additionally, both men face charges of producing child pornography, a related offense included in the indictment. If convicted of conspiracy to commit murder abroad, they could face life imprisonment, while the child pornography charges carry a potential sentence of 15 to 30 years. The case is the result of a joint investigation by the FBI, the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and the Celina Police Department, with Assistant District Attorney Ryan Locker leading the prosecution. The District Attorney’s Office emphasized that an indictment does not equate to guilt, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven otherwise in court.
