Federal investigators have linked the murder of a U.S. Border Patrol agent near the Canadian border to a radical militant group accused of multiple killings across the country.
Border Patrol agent David Maland was shot and killed on January 20 during a routine traffic stop in Coventry, Vermont.
The suspects, identified as German national Felix “Ophelia” Bauckholt and University of Washington student Teresa “Milo” Consuelo Youngblut, were traveling in a Toyota Prius when they were stopped.
Authorities say Youngblut opened fire on Maland, killing him, before border agents returned fire, killing Bauckholt. Youngblut was taken into custody.
Court documents reveal that federal law enforcement had been monitoring Bauckholt and Youngblut in the days leading up to the shooting. Staff at a Lyndonville, Vermont, motel had reported seeing the pair with firearms and black tactical clothing.
When law enforcement questioned them, they claimed to be scouting property in the area before checking out of the motel on January 14.
Authorities now say that the weapons used in the attack were linked to a larger investigation involving a shadowy extremist group known as the “Zizians.” This group, led by Jack LaSota—also known by the alias “Ziz”—has been connected to at least four homicides.
Bauckholt, a biological male identifying as transgender, had an extensive background in mathematics and finance.
Originally from Freiburg, Germany, he graduated from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, before working as a quantitative trader at Tower Research Capital in New York. Investigators believe he was in the U.S. on an H-1B visa.
Youngblut, a biological female identifying as transgender, was a computer science student at the University of Washington.
Social media records show Youngblut followed multiple far-left, Antifa-aligned accounts and had been reported missing by family members in May 2024. The family told police they believed she was in a controlling relationship and had cut off contact.
The case took another turn last week when authorities arrested Maximilian Bentley Snyder, a Seattle resident and former classmate of Youngblut. Snyder was charged with the murder of 82-year-old Curtis Lind, an elderly man who was set to testify in an upcoming attempted murder trial involving alleged members of the “Ziz” group. Prosecutors say Snyder killed Lind to prevent his testimony.
Lind was the sole witness in a case against two alleged members of the Ziz group—Suri Dao and Alexander “Somni” Leatham—who are accused of attempting to murder him in 2022.
During that attack, Lind was stabbed multiple times and lost an eye but managed to shoot and kill one of his assailants, Amir “Emma” Borhanian. Authorities have also identified bioinformatics researcher Michelle Jacqueline Zajko as a person of interest.
Zajko, a transgender nonbinary individual, was previously linked to the Ziz group and is believed to have supplied firearms to Bauckholt and Youngblut. Zajko has not been charged with a crime but remains under investigation for a double homicide in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
Following the border shooting, investigators searched Bauckholt and Youngblut’s vehicle and discovered a cache of weapons and tactical gear, including:
- Two pistols and multiple magazines
- Night-vision goggles
- Two full-face respirators
- A ballistic helmet
- 48 rounds of hollow-point ammunition
- Interstate lodging records
- Two-way radios
- Multiple electronic devices wrapped in foil
Authorities also searched their prior residence in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where they had been living in an Airbnb with other members of the Ziz group. The property owner reported that Youngblut had parked a large box truck on the premises, where group members frequently gathered.
Federal prosecutors have cited Youngblut’s connections to other violent individuals as a reason to deny bail.
In a January 27 court motion, prosecutor Matthew Lasher wrote, “Her associations with other individuals suspected of violent acts also warrants caution.” Meanwhile, online supporters of the Ziz group have attempted to pressure people not to cooperate with authorities.
Following the murder of witness Curtis Lind, one social media account linked to the group posted, “Ladies and gentlemen, we got him.”
As federal agencies continue to investigate the extent of the Ziz group’s operations, questions remain about their broader network and future threats.
Law enforcement officials have not ruled out additional arrests as they work to uncover more connections between the group’s members and recent violent incidents across multiple states.
