Cato immigration studies director defends 'Zizian' trans cult member charged with murder of Border Patrol agent

A post from the Director of Immigration Studies at the Cato Institute has gone viral on Bluesky after he defended members of the “Zizian” trans cult who were accused of murdering a Border Patrol officer. 

David Bier, who works in the immigration policy position at Cato, said in a post to Bluesky, “A new court filing suggests that Border Patrol lied about the basis of a traffic stop that led to the shooting of a US citizen, a German tourist, and a Border Patrol agent. Only when cases go to court do we find out about DHS lies and its unlawful tactics come to light.”

The court filing, which was filed by the defense, suggested that the Border Patrol agents were in the wrong to stop the car where Teresa Youngblut, a member of the Zizian trans cult, allegedly murdered Border Patrol Agent David Maland. The incident took place in Vermont on January 20, 2025.

The Department of Justice is seeking the death penalty against Youngblut in the case. The cult itself has been tied to a number of killings across multiple states.

The Post Millennial’s Editor at Large Andy Ngo reported on Bier’s post and said that Bier presented "the case as overzealous immigration enforcement causing a deadly shooting, but he conveniently leaves out that the stop was part of an ongoing surveillance operation into members of the Zizians, a trans cult tied to at least eight deaths.”

At the time of the stop, Youngblut and others in the car were traveling with weapons and tactical gear.

Bier said in response to Ngo, "It’s amusing to see right wingers claim that mere possession of a gun and gear is a reason to surveil and arrest people. And following the Constitution is also important when someone actually is up to no good because failing to do so can let them get away with literal murder."

Youngblut and the German man in the car named Felix "Ophelia" Bauckholt had been reported to police by staff after they were seen in black tactical gear with military-style equipment. Bauckholt died in the shootout between the pair of militants and the authorities.