DOJ seeks death penalty for Zizian cult member charged with murder of Vermont Border Patrol agent

The Justice Department announced Thursday it will seek the death penalty for a Washington state woman accused of killing a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Vermont, in what federal officials describe as the latest example of a radicalized cultlike group’s deadly violence.

Prosecutors say Teresa Youngblut, 21, of Seattle, is part of the self-styled Zizians, a network of radicals bound by beliefs in veganism, transgenderism, artificial intelligence, and anarchist ideology. Members of the group have been linked to six murders across three states since 2022.

Youngblut is accused of fatally shooting Border Patrol Agent David Maland on January 20, 2025, the same day President Donald Trump was sworn in for a second term and signed an executive order lifting the moratorium on federal executions.

A federal grand jury in Vermont returned a superseding indictment Thursday, charging Youngblut with the murder of a federal officer, the assault of two additional agents with a deadly weapon, and related firearms offenses.

“As alleged, this defendant shot and killed a United States Border Patrol Agent while he was performing his duties,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti. “We will not stand for such attacks on the men and women who protect our communities and our borders.”

According to court documents, the shooting occurred after a Border Patrol agent stopped a Toyota Prius on Interstate 91 in Coventry, Vermont. Youngblut was traveling with Felix Bauckholt, a German national whose immigration status was under review.

Days earlier, the pair had drawn attention after a hotel worker reported seeing them in tactical gear and possibly armed. On the day of the shooting, officers saw Bauckholt in a Newport, Vermont, parking lot wrapping unidentified objects in aluminum foil.

During the traffic stop, prosecutors say Youngblut got out of the car and opened fire without warning, killing Agent Maland. Bauckholt also reached for a weapon but was killed in the ensuing shootout. Authorities recovered two semiautomatic pistols, a .40 caliber and a .380, linked to other members of the Zizians.

Investigators say the Zizians formed around Jack LaSota, who identifies as transgender,  also known as “Ziz,” whose online writings attracted young, highly skilled programmers with extremist views. Members have been implicated in the 2022 killing of a California landlord during a dispute with one of the group’s members and the 2023 murders of Richard and Rita Zajko in Pennsylvania. Michelle Zajko, who identifies as trans nonbinary and whose parents were the Pennsylvania victims, allegedly purchased the two guns found in Vermont. Zajko is accused of supplying the weapons to Youngblut and is wanted for the killings in Pennsylvania.

LaSota and Zajko were arrested together in Maryland earlier this year on weapons and drug charges, but LaSota, who faces additional federal counts, remains wanted in Pennsylvania after skipping multiple court appearances.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi has approved the death penalty in Youngblut’s case. The notice of intent filed Thursday means prosecutors will seek execution if Youngblut is convicted.

“The murder of a federal agent is more than a tragic loss,” said FBI Criminal Investigative Division Assistant Director Jose A. Perez. “It’s an attack on the security of our nation and the safety of our communities.”