A violent coup plot targeting a Haitian island, a sweeping federal surge to solve long-ignored violent crimes in Indian Country, a Las Vegas executive sent to prison for fixing nurse wages, and top diagnostics executives sentenced for hiding a dangerous lead-testing defect. This week’s justice headlines reveal a nation grappling with both brazen criminal schemes and long-delayed accountability. From Alaska to the Caribbean, federal authorities are moving aggressively to address threats that endanger communities, workers, and even children’s health.
By Gina Hill | Alaska headline Living | December 2025
👉🏿 Texas Men Accused of Plotting Deadly Coup on Haitian Island Allegedly Planned Murder, Kidnapping and Enslavement
Two North Texas men, Gavin Rivers Weisenburg and Tanner Christopher Thomas, have been indicted on shocking charges that include conspiracy to commit murder, maim or kidnap persons in a foreign country, and production of child pornography. Prosecutors allege the men plotted a violent takeover of an island off the coast of Haiti, with the aim of killing all male residents and enslaving women and children. Department of Justice
According to the indictment, the alleged plot, hatched between August 2024 and July 2025, involved intensive planning: the pair intended to purchase a sailboat, weapons, ammunition, and recruit a mercenary force (reportedly targeting homeless individuals in the Washington, D.C. area). They allegedly studied Haitian Creole, researched logistics for the mission, and enrolled in training or military programs. Thomas reportedly joined the United States Air Force in January 2025 as part of what prosecutors say was the plan to gain combat-related training for the assault. Department of Justice
Additional reporting highlights just how bizarre and extreme the alleged scheme was. According to the coverage in Military.com, federal prosecutors say they intended to recruit “vulnerable people” to fill out their mercenary force, buy weapons and a boat, and launch the assault on Gonâve Island off Haiti’s coast. Military.com+1
If convicted, both men face life in prison for the conspiracy to commit murder abroad. The child-pornography charge, separate from the coup plot, carries a possible 15 to 30 years behind bars. Department of Justice
Federal agents, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, are leading the investigation. Military Times
Because this is an indictment, not a verdict, the men remain presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Department of Justice
👉🏿 Federal Crackdown on Indian Country Violent Crime Could Bring Needed Hope to Alaska Native Communities
The U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation recently announced that a six‑month national surge targeting unresolved violent crimes in “Indian Country”, including Alaska Native lands, led to more than 1,260 charges, 1,123 arrests, 304 weapons recovered, and 458 child victims identified or located. Mike Dunleavy+1
Image credit: BIA / Indian Affairs website
📊 Alaska’s Crisis: The Numbers
- In 2023, the state recorded 155 cases of missing or murdered Indigenous persons; 143 missing and 12 killed. Mike Dunleavy
- Between April and June 2023 alone, nearly 200 Alaska Native or American Indian people were reported missing, and about two dozen of those had not been found by the end of that quarter.
- As of early 2025, Alaska reportedly has the highest rate of unresolved missing‑person cases per 100,000 residents nationwide. Statista+1
- The backlog of unsolved homicide cases in the state has also swelled: a cold‑case list recently expanded from 69 to 116 unsolved murders, many of them involving Native victims.
These numbers underline a long‑standing crisis in Alaska. One fueled by violence, disappearances, and a chronic lack of resolution.
What the Federal Surge Means for Alaska
Because “Indian Country” includes Alaska Native lands, this renewed federal effort could bring real resources to Alaska’s rural and urban Native communities. That means:
- More pressure to investigate old and neglected cases including disappearances and cold‑case homicides.
- Potential closure for families who have waited for years to know the fate of loved ones.
- Greater visibility and accountability for systemic neglect of Indigenous victims, especially women and children, who are disproportionately affected.
Given how under‑resourced many local agencies are, especially in remote villages and rural hubs, the additional federal manpower, investigative tools, and cross‑jurisdiction coordination could make a significant difference.
A Chance for Alaskans to Engage
📞 Who to Contact & How
U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Alaska — MMIP Coordinator
Phone: 907-271-3314 (office) | 907-306-0669 (duty cell)
Email: USAAK.MMIP@usdoj.gov
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) — Missing & Murdered Unit (MMU)
Tip line (24/7, toll-free): 1-833-560-2065
Text a tip: Text “BIAMMU” + your information to 847411
Email: OJS_MMU@bia.gov
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) — Operation Not Forgotten
Submit a tip online: FBI Tip Form
Call the toll-free tip line: 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324)
👉🏿 Las Vegas Executive Sentenced to 40 Months for Nurse Wage-Fixing, Fraud
Eduardo “Eddie” Lopez of Las Vegas was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison for conspiring to fix wages for home healthcare nurses and committing fraud during the $10 million sale of his company.
Lopez must also pay $550,000 in fines, $2.5 million in restitution to the buyer, and forfeit over $10 million in company proceeds. Prosecutors said Lopez’s scheme ran from 2016 to 2019, depriving nurses of fair pay while hiding an antitrust investigation from the purchaser.
“This Justice Department’s first-ever wage-fixing conviction shows that cheating workers and profiting from fraud won’t go unpunished,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater. FBI Director Kash Patel added that the victims were the hardworking nurses who suffered lost wages.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s International Corruption Unit and the Antitrust Division, with prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.
👉🏿 Top Magellan Executives Get Home Detention for Hiding Lead‑Test Defect, Putting Children’s Health at Risk
Three former senior executives at Magellan, the former CEO, COO and Director of Quality Assurance & Regulatory Affairs, have been sentenced for concealing a serious malfunction in the company’s lead‑testing devices that caused thousands of inaccurate blood‑lead tests. Department of Justice
- Amy Winslow was sentenced to one year of home detention plus a $10,000 fine. Department of Justice
- Hossein Maleknia received nine months of home detention and a $20,000 fine. Department of Justice
- Reba Daoust got one year of probation (with the first six months under house arrest) and a $600 fine. Department of Justice
Magellan’s devices, notably the LeadCare II and LeadCare Ultra, were widely used to test blood lead levels in children and adults between 2013 and 2017. The company knowingly failed to alert regulators and customers when it discovered that its devices produced inaccurately low readings for venous blood draws. As a result, thousands of patients likely received incorrect results, possibly delaying diagnosis and treatment for lead exposure. Department of Justice+2U.S. Food and Drug Administration+2
“By misleading consumers and federal regulators about a significant flaw in a medical device … they ignored the well‑being of thousands of children and other patients,” said law‑enforcement officials. Department of Justice
This sentencing marks a clear warning to medical‑device firms: putting profits over patient safety won’t be tolerated.
