Two young men from North Texas have been federally indicted for allegedly planning a violent and shocking plot to seize control of Gonâve Island, Haiti. According to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), the defendants are Gavin Rivers Weisenburg, 21, of Allen, Texas, and Tanner Christopher Thomas, 20, of Argyle, Texas.
The pair were charged by a grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas with conspiring to murder, maim, or kidnap persons in a foreign country, and with producing child pornography. The charges stem from a scheme allegedly plotted from August 2024 through July 2025.
What the Government Says They Did
According to the official DOJ announcement, Weisenburg and Thomas planned to recruit individuals – including homeless individuals – to form what they described as an “unlawful expeditionary force.” Their aim was to purchase a sailboat, acquire firearms and ammunition, and carry out a forceful invasion of Gonâve Island.
Prosecutors allege that once on the island, the group intended to kill all the men, overthrow local authority, and enslave the women and children. The indictment describes how the defendants discussed these goals explicitly, including what government documents refer to as “rape fantasies.” Part of their preparation included studying Haitian Creole, discussing logistics and operational plans, and attempting to recruit and organize participants in person and online.
Military Connections and Training Efforts
The government says Thomas enlisted in the United States Air Force in January 2025. According to court documents summarized by news sources, he later sought a reassignment to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, allegedly to facilitate the recruitment of participants for the scheme.
Meanwhile, the DOJ notes that Weisenburg enrolled in a fire academy in mid-2024 – which he failed out of – a step prosecutors claim was part of his alleged attempts to gain relevant training for the plan.
Charges, Statutes, and Penalties
The conspiracy charge invokes 18 U.S.C. § 956, which makes it a federal crime for persons within U.S. jurisdiction to conspire to commit murder, kidnapping, or maiming outside the United States, so long as at least one conspirator commits an overt act in the U.S. to further that conspiracy. Under § 956, a conviction for conspiracy to murder or kidnap abroad can result in life imprisonment.
The second count in the indictment involves producing child pornography. Prosecutors accuse the defendants of persuading a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct recorded on camera.
Federal law under 18 U.S.C. § 2251 (and related provisions) governs the production of child pornography, including by means of coercion, inducement, or persuasion of a minor.
While statutory maximums can vary depending on factors such as prior convictions or aggravating circumstances, the production of child pornography charge against these defendants carries a potential maximum sentence that the DOJ has cited publicly. Both men have pleaded not guilty and are presumed innocent as the case proceeds through the court system.
Legal Reach and Jurisdiction
The charge under § 956 highlights an important aspect of U.S. criminal law: individuals who conspire within U.S. borders to commit serious crimes overseas can be prosecuted even if no act was carried out abroad, provided sufficient overt acts take place in the U.S. in furtherance of the scheme. This jurisdictional approach allows U.S. authorities to interdict and punish conspiracy efforts before they are executed, preventing potential atrocities rather than reacting after they happen.
Context and Reaction
The case has drawn intense public attention because of the extraordinary nature of the alleged plot: attempting to organize an armed coup against a populated island, using recruited personnel, and with intentions described by prosecutors as genocidal and sexual in nature. It is rare to see such direct and detailed allegations involving plans of mass violence, coerced recruitment, and child exploitation.
Defense attorneys have publicly pushed back. In news interviews, one attorney for Thomas described the government’s narrative as “the craziest thing” he has heard and pledged a vigorous defense.
As the case unfolds, the court record will likely become more detailed, revealing digital communications, financial transactions, recruitment materials, and other evidence. For now, the indictment and DOJ summary provide the clearest view of prosecutors’ understanding of the scheme.
Analysis: Why This Case Matters
This indictment underscores key themes in modern federal prosecutions: prevention, jurisdiction, and the merging of traditional conspiracy law with international harm. By invoking § 956, prosecutors illustrate U.S. law extends to conspiratorial acts targeting locations abroad, allowing intervention before irreparable damage occurs.
Furthermore, this case highlights how vulnerable populations – such as homeless individuals – can be targeted for recruitment into dangerous conspiracies. The exploitation alleged here would represent not only violent crime but calculated manipulation of social instability.
From a policy and enforcement perspective, the allegations also raise critical questions about oversight, early detection, and the ability of U.S. agencies to monitor conspiratorial planning involving recruitment, training, and travel arrangements. If proven, the plot would reflect a sophisticated effort to prepare for multi-stage wrongdoing rather than spontaneous criminal activity.
Finally, the presence of a minor in one of the charges adds another layer of concern. The child pornography count significantly escalates potential penalties and highlights how U.S. federal law tackles intersecting forms of criminality, especially when conspiracies involve both planned mass violence abroad and sexual exploitation.
Moving Forward
As the case moves forward, the government will have to prove every element of the indictment beyond a reasonable doubt, and both defendants retain the presumption of innocence. Even so, the allegations themselves raise unsettling questions about how far individuals can get in plotting violence abroad before law enforcement intervenes. The charges under 18 U.S.C. § 956 show how federal law is designed to stop overseas conspiracies long before they reach foreign soil, and the added child-exploitation count illustrates how separate forms of harm can converge inside a single case. Whatever the eventual outcome, the indictment forces a broader look at how criminal conspiracies cross borders, how military training or affiliation can be misused, and how vulnerable populations can be targeted by people seeking to carry out violent plans. The court will decide the legal issues, but the public is left with difficult questions about prevention, oversight, and the ways dangerous fantasies can grow into something far more real if no one notices in time.
