Two individuals are facing allegations of devising a disturbing plan to assemble a ‘homeless army’ and launch an assault on an island with intentions of enslaving its inhabitants for sexual exploitation.
Gavin Rivers Weisenburg, aged 21, and Tanner Christopher Thomas, aged 20, both hailing from Dallas, Texas, are accused of formulating a scheme to eradicate all male residents of Haiti’s Gonave Island and subject women and children to sexual abuse. The duo was officially charged in the US on Thursday with conspiracy to commit murder, inflict harm, or abduct individuals in a foreign land, in addition to the production of child pornography, stemming from allegations of coercing a minor into engaging in sexually explicit activities.
Federal prosecutors disclosed that Weisenburg and Thomas strategized to procure a boat and firearms, followed by enlisting members of the homeless community in the District of Columbia to serve as a hired military unit. One of the accused even enlisted in the US military to undergo training for an armed incursion aimed at orchestrating a coup d’état on the island, as per the indictment.
Situated approximately 38 miles off Haiti’s mainland, Gonave Island spans about 290 square miles and is home to roughly 87,000 inhabitants. Legal representatives for both defendants affirmed on Friday their intention to plead not guilty. John Helms, the attorney representing Thomas, stated: “They never attempted any of these actions.”
Mr. Helms expressed skepticism regarding the prosecution’s ability to prove Weisenburg and Thomas had genuine intentions of executing the plan. Allegedly, Weisenburg enrolled in a fire academy in Dallas to acquire relevant combat training but terminated his studies prematurely. Subsequently, he purportedly traveled to Thailand with plans to learn sailing, which he abandoned due to financial constraints.
According to the indictment, Thomas enlisted in the US Air Force in January and informed Weisenburg via social media that his military enlistment was geared towards advancing their planned assault. During his service, Thomas reportedly transferred to Andrews Air Base in Maryland to aid in the recruitment of homeless individuals in Washington, D.C., as outlined in the indictment.
The US Air Force Office of Special Investigations was among the agencies involved in the probe, as confirmed by the US Attorney’s Office. The Air Force did not respond immediately to inquiries regarding Thomas’ service. Should the men be convicted on the child pornography charge, they could face a maximum of 30 years in prison, while a conviction on the conspiracy charge could lead to a life sentence.
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