Two Texas Men Indicted for Shocking Plot to Invade Haitian Island and Enslave Women and Children

Jamaica Live International News– | Nov 23, 2025

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves across the Caribbean and the United States, two North Texas men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for an alleged conspiracy to invade Gonâve Island, a Haitian island located just off the coast of Port-au-Prince.

The accused—21-year-old Gavin Rivers Weisenburg and 20-year-old Tanner Christopher Thomas—are facing federal charges after U.S. authorities uncovered their chilling plan: to massacre all the men on the island and force the women and children into sexual slavery.

According to court documents, the men exchanged detailed messages outlining an armed attack on Gonâve, including how they would seize control of the island, kill its male population, and exploit surviving women and children. Investigators say the pair also attempted to acquire weapons and recruit others to join the operation. Weisenburg and Thomas allegedly planned to recruit homeless individuals from the Washington, D.C. area to serve as a mercenary force for their “army”.

Federal prosecutors described the plot as “violent, delusional, and deeply disturbing,” emphasizing that the men appeared serious in their intentions despite the plan being far-fetched and logistically impossible. U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs’ office alleged that between August 2024 and July 2025, the two men planned to recruit a mercenary force of homeless people from Washington, D.C., to unlawfully invade Gonave, an island that’s part of the Republic of Haiti.

Gonâve Island—home to more than 100,000 Haitians—has long struggled with economic hardship, limited infrastructure, and the impact of Haiti’s ongoing instability. The idea that outsiders would target its vulnerable population has intensified outrage among Haitian communities at home and abroad.

Human rights advocates have condemned the plot, calling it a stark reminder of how Haitians continue to face threats from violence, exploitation, and geopolitical neglect.

Both suspects are now in federal custody. If convicted, they could face decades in prison.

This case highlights the dangerous intersection of online extremism, violent fantasies, and racialized dehumanization—an intersection that continues to pose threats far beyond U.S. borders. Haiti, still grappling with political turbulence and humanitarian crises, remains especially vulnerable.

For many Caribbean observers, this indictment raises a bigger question: How many other threats go undetected? And how prepared are authorities—not just in Haiti, but across the region—to stop them?

Jamaica Live will continue to follow this story as it develops.