A U.S. Air Force airman joined the military specifically to gain combat skills for an elaborate plot to invade a Haitian island, kill all the men, and enslave the women and children.
Military Recruitment as Terror Training
Tanner Christopher Thomas and Gavin Rivers Weisenberg began planning their twisted scheme in August 2024, but Thomas took the extraordinary step of enlisting in the U.S. Air Force specifically to gain the combat training necessary for their invasion. Thomas transferred to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, positioning himself near Washington, D.C., to recruit homeless individuals as mercenaries for their operation.
The airman’s exploitation of military training for criminal purposes represents an unprecedented breach of trust. Thomas successfully completed his military training while secretly plotting mass murder and enslavement. His conviction in military court resulted in a dishonorable discharge and three years’ confinement, but federal prosecutors pursued additional charges for the international conspiracy.
Target: An Entire Island Population
Gonave Island sits off Haiti’s coast with approximately 87,000 residents who became unwitting targets in this deranged plot. The conspirators spent months learning Haitian Creole and researching the logistics of their planned invasion. Their scheme involved killing every male on the island while forcing women and children into sexual slavery.
The defendants planned to establish themselves as rulers of the island through systematic violence and exploitation. Federal prosecutors describe the plot as motivated by violent and sexual fantasies rather than any political or ideological connection to Haiti. The sheer scope of intended victims distinguishes this case from typical domestic terrorism plots.
Recruiting the Vulnerable as Cannon Fodder
Thomas’s transfer to Joint Base Andrews served a calculated purpose beyond military training. The base’s proximity to Washington D.C. provided access to homeless populations that the conspirators intended to recruit as expendable soldiers. They viewed these vulnerable individuals as disposable assets for their mercenary force.
This recruitment strategy reveals the defendants’ complete disregard for human life across multiple vulnerable populations. They simultaneously planned to exploit homeless Americans as mercenaries while targeting Haitian civilians for extermination and enslavement. The FBI’s investigation uncovered these recruitment efforts before any significant progress occurred.
Federal Response and Ongoing Prosecution
The U.S. Department of Justice unsealed the indictment in November 2025, revealing charges of conspiracy to murder, maim, or kidnap in a foreign country alongside the production of child pornography. Both defendants face potential life sentences if convicted on all counts. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the FBI conducted the joint investigation that exposed the plot.
Defense attorneys for both men deny the allegations and plan to enter not-guilty pleas, arguing their clients never intended to act on them. However, the extensive evidence of preparation, including language learning, logistics planning, and attempts to acquire weapons, suggests a serious intent to execute the conspiracy. The case proceeds through federal court with both defendants in custody.