Federal authorities are investigating a radical extremist group with ties to multiple homicides across the country after the murder of U.S. Border Patrol Agent David Maland in Coventry, Vermont. The group, known as the “Zizians,” consists of highly educated transgender individuals who promote fringe ideologies centered on transhumanism, radical animal rights activism, and anarchist beliefs.
The attack occurred on January 20, when Maland conducted a routine traffic stop near the Canadian border. According to federal prosecutors, Teresa “Milo” Consuelo Youngblut, a University of Washington student, opened fire on Maland, who was fatally shot. Border agents returned fire, killing Youngblut’s associate, Felix “Ophelia” Bauckholt, a German national. Youngblut was taken into custody.
Court filings and law enforcement sources suggest the firearms used in the attack were linked to a person of interest in other homicides. Investigators now believe the shooting is connected to a larger network of violent incidents involving members of the “Zizians.” The group is reportedly led by Jack LaSota, also known as “Ziz” or “Andrea Phelps,” who has an open arrest warrant in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. While some claim LaSota is deceased, authorities suspect the reports of his death may have been fabricated to evade law enforcement.
Bauckholt, a biological male identifying as transgender, was an accomplished mathematician from Germany who later worked in quantitative trading in New York. He was reportedly living in an Airbnb rental in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, alongside other group members before traveling to Vermont. Youngblut, a biological female identifying as transgender, was previously reported missing by her family in May 2024. Social media activity suggests she followed far-left, Antifa-aligned accounts.
The Zizians are an active Mur*er Cult currently operating across the USA. Linked to over 6 Ki*ls. It sounds like a movie script but is real. They wear black robes,masks&are Tech wiz’s,that identify as trans. Ziz is linked to the death of a Border Patrol Agent &several more people pic.twitter.com/3KqcqPXlZH
— Kate (@AbbypaigeKate) February 16, 2025
The shooting in Vermont is not the only case under investigation. Authorities have linked the Zizian group to at least four homicides, including the murder of 82-year-old Curtis Lind in Vallejo, California. Lind, a key witness in an attempted murder trial against two alleged Zizian members, was found dead on January 17, having been stabbed and had his throat slit. Law enforcement arrested computer science expert Snyder, who was engaged to Youngblut, in connection with Lind’s murder. Prosecutors allege the killing was intended to prevent Lind from testifying against Zizian members Suri Dao and Alexander “Somni” Leatham, who are facing trial for the 2022 attempted murder of Lind.
🚨NEW: Leader of the trans cult, “The Zizians,” has been arrested, according to Maryland State Police.
The cult of trans activists was tied to the murder of the Border Patrol agent, David Maland, in January.
Further, the group is linked to 5 other homicides in Vermont,… pic.twitter.com/z1nbGc3JJq
— Walter Curt (@WCdispatch_) February 17, 2025
In 2022, Lind survived an attack by three Zizians squatting on his property in Solano County, California. During the assault, Lind was stabbed multiple times and impaled with a sword. He managed to shoot and kill one of his assailants, Amir “Emma” Borhanian. Dao and Leatham were arrested and face trial in April. With Lind’s murder, prosecutors now fear a key witness in the case has been eliminated.
The firearms used in both the Vermont and California cases have been traced to Michelle Jacqueline Zajko, a trans nonbinary individual whose parents were found murdered in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, in 2023. Zajko, an expert in bioinformatics, has not been charged with a crime but remains a person of interest.
Authorities are investigating reports that the Zizians operate in small, transient communes, often living in box trucks. The group’s leader, LaSota, has written extensively on radical anarchist tactics and violence as a means of achieving ideological goals. Court filings suggest his influence may be a common link among the suspects.
The alleged leader of vegan transgender cult is linked to 6 murders.
Jack LaSota is allegedly the leader of Zizians.
The cult is linked to six murders across the country including a border patrol agent.
LaSota claimed in court that he didn’t do anything wrong, but the judge… pic.twitter.com/v2nLMTzebh
— Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) February 18, 2025
A search of Bauckholt and Youngblut’s vehicle uncovered tactical gear, night-vision goggles, ballistic helmets, and electronic devices wrapped in foil, raising further questions about their activities and potential future plans. Their last known residence in North Carolina reportedly housed other members of the group, who spent significant time in a parked box truck.
In response to the investigations, some online activists have urged individuals not to cooperate with law enforcement or journalists, while others have openly celebrated the killings. Federal prosecutors are continuing to examine the full scope of the Zizians’ operations, their funding sources, and any additional criminal activity connected to the group.
