Two Americans planned to capture the island and kill its inhabitants.
Who among us hasn't dreamed of owning a tropical island? Unfortunately, it's not a cheap pleasure, and for most people, a patch of white sand and palm trees will remain an unrealistic dream. But two Americans—21-year-old Gavin Rivers Weisenberg and 20-year-old Tanner Christopher Thomas—found what they thought was a simple and inexpensive way to become island owners. They decided to seize it. However, they were driven not by a desire for privacy and exoticism, but by something far more sinister and prosaic.
The young Texans chose the island of Gonâve in the Caribbean off the coast of Haiti as their target. They spent a whole year preparing for the "raid," studying the island's layout and acquiring the necessary skills. Weisenberg enrolled in a fire academy, and his friend Thomas went even further, enlisting in the U.S. Air Force.
In their free time, they studied Haitian Creole and practiced sailing on a yacht—they planned to use it to reach the island. Gavin even considered flying to Thailand to get an international captain's license, but they ran out of money. The guys weren't planning on relying solely on themselves: they planned to recruit an "army" of homeless people in Washington.
Why did they need an army? It's simple: Gonâve has a population of 85,000 to 100,000. Weisenberg and Thomas planned to exterminate all the men and force the women and children into sexual slavery. This required a large sailing vessel, firearms, and ammunition. Funds for the purchase were discussed, but naturally, none was available.
How exactly the FBI tracked down the two would-be slave owners remains unclear. One theory is that Thomas's military service led to the discovery. The Bureau took the case extremely seriously, as evidenced by the charges brought against them.
They are charged with conspiracy to commit murder, serious bodily harm, and kidnapping outside the United States, as well as producing child pornography. The main charges carry life sentences. The defendants' lawyers call the evidence "unsubstantiated" and claim the case is being overblown.
The story of two young "21st-century pirates" sounds absurd, but that doesn't make it any less terrifying—they planned everything out too thoroughly, and the preparation was too realistic. Where do you draw the line between teenage fantasies, immaturity, and a genuine threat to society?