A Jersey City journalist is recovering after being struck by a vehicle in a hit-and-run that ended in a violent multi-car crash and a string of charges against the driver, authorities said. According to police and witness accounts, the collision occurred in Jersey City when a vehicle struck a pedestrian and left the scene. The victim, a local journalist, was thrown to the ground and suffered injuries that required medical treatment. Instead of stopping, the driver, a resident in Bayonne New Jersey, Laura Castaneda, allegedly fled the area at a high rate of speed. Witnesses told investigators that the vehicle was seen traveling at what they believed to be more than 90 miles per hour along West Side Avenue, heading in the direction of Bayonne. Within seconds, the driver reportedly lost control and crashed into three parked vehicles, totaling all three as well as the vehicle they were driving. Emergency responders arrived on scene to find significant damage to the parked cars and debri...
Two young men from North Texas have been indicted in what federal prosecutors describe as a shocking plot to seize control of a Haitian island, kill its male population, and enslave women and children for sexual exploitation.
According to an indictment unsealed this week in the Eastern District of Texas, 21 year old Gavin Rivers Weisenburg of Allen and 20 year old Tanner Christopher Thomas of Argyle are accused of planning an armed coup on Gonâve Island, a Haitian island of roughly 85,000 to 100,000 residents in the Gulf of Gonâve, west of Port au Prince.
The two men have been charged with:
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Conspiracy to murder, maim, or kidnap in a foreign country
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Production of child pornography
If convicted, they face up to life in prison on the conspiracy charge and 15 to 30 years for the child pornography count.
An alleged plan for a “coup d’état”
Prosecutors say that between August 2024 and July 2025, Weisenburg and Thomas worked on a plan to travel by boat to Gonâve Island, overthrow local authorities, and take control of the territory by force. The indictment alleges that:
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They intended to kill the island’s men, and
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Enslave its women and children to satisfy what court documents describe as violent sexual “fantasies.”
The alleged scheme, as laid out by investigators, went far beyond mere online fantasies or private messages. Court filings say the pair:
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Drew up “operational and logistical” plans for an invasion
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Searched for and attempted to purchase a sailboat capable of reaching Haiti
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Researched and attempted to obtain firearms and ammunition
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Took Haitian Creole classes for several months to communicate on the island
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Discussed and attempted to recruit others into a makeshift mercenary force
Gonâve Island, sometimes called La Gonâve, is Haiti’s largest satellite island and already faces chronic poverty, water scarcity, and limited infrastructure. Its people have long relied on aid groups and local organizations to address basic needs.
Recruiting from homeless encampments and the U.S. military, prosecutors say
One of the most disturbing allegations in the indictment is how prosecutors say the men hoped to build their fighting force.
Investigators claim Weisenburg and Thomas planned to recruit homeless people in Washington, D.C., promising them food, money, and a role in the operation as a kind of “mercenary” army. Court documents say Thomas arranged to be stationed closer to the U.S. capital to facilitate this recruitment.
The indictment also alleges that both men sought out formal training they believed would help them carry out the plot:
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Thomas enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in January 2025, allegedly to gain combat and tactical training he could later use in the planned coup. He was eventually transferred to a base in Maryland, closer to D.C. and to the people they allegedly hoped to recruit.
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Weisenburg enrolled in a North Texas fire academy, which prosecutors say he viewed as an opportunity to learn useful skills for the mission. He later traveled to Thailand and looked into sailing courses but allegedly did not complete them due to cost.
Alongside the alleged coup planning, the indictment ties the men to a separate child pornography offense involving the coercion of a minor to engage in sexual activity on camera in August 2024.
Investigation and arrests
The case is the result of a joint investigation involving the FBI, the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and local law enforcement.
Weisenburg was arrested in early July 2025, according to local reporting. Details about Thomas’s arrest have not been made public. Both men were ultimately indicted by a federal grand jury in Texas, and the charges were announced this week by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
As of the latest filings:
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Both defendants are pleading not guilty
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Defense attorneys have suggested the pair never truly intended to carry out the plot and that their communications amounted to fantasy, not an actionable plan
Prosecutors, however, point to what they describe as concrete steps toward implementation: training, attempted purchases, recruitment efforts, and detailed planning over nearly a year.
A chilling example of transnational violence and exploitation
The allegations strike at the intersection of extremist fantasy, online planning, and real world action that crosses national borders. The case highlights several broader concerns:
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Vulnerability of marginalized populations: Prosecutors say the men targeted both a struggling island community and people experiencing homelessness in the U.S., groups with limited resources and protection.
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Use of institutions for harmful ends: One suspect allegedly joined the U.S. military specifically to gain skills for an unlawful, violent mission abroad.
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Digital radicalization and logistics: While many details remain sealed, court records suggest a mix of online communications, research, and in person steps that blurred the line between fantasy and operational planning.
For Haitians, especially those on Gonâve Island, the indictment is another reminder of how the country’s instability and poverty can make it a target not just for natural disasters or political strife, but also for predatory schemes from abroad.
What happens next
The case is still in its early stages. No trial date has been publicly announced yet. Over the coming months, key questions will likely shape how the case unfolds:
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How much evidence of concrete preparation (purchases, travel, weapons, recruitment) will prosecutors be able to show?
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Will the defense succeed in portraying the communications as grotesque but ultimately not actionable “fantasy”?
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How will the court weigh the combination of alleged coup planning and child pornography charges when considering potential sentences?
If convicted on all counts, both Weisenburg and Thomas could spend the rest of their lives in federal prison. For now, they remain accused, not convicted, and the allegations will be tested in court.
Still, the story has already sent shockwaves far beyond Texas and Haiti. For many observers, it is a stark example of how violent, exploitative fantasies, when paired with weapons research, recruitment efforts, and real world training, can become more than just words on a screen.