OAN Staff Taylor Tinsley
4:39 PM – Friday, January 31, 2025
The murder of a U.S. Border Patrol agent has unveiled a possible link between a “transgender vegan cult” and a string of murders across the U.S.
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Buckle up—this one’s a doozy.
On January 20th, Inauguration Day, U.S. Border Patrol agent David Maland, 44, and other agents pulled over 21-year-old Teresa “Milo” Youngblut and German citizen Felix “Ophelia” Bauckholt in northern Vermont, near the Canadian border.
Youngblut quickly opened fire on the agents, and they all engaged in a back-and-forth shootout.
Maland and Bauckholt were killed in the incident, and Youngblut was injured in the crossfire.
The 21-year-old was finally arrested in Washington last week. She now faces one count of using a deadly weapon while assaulting a United States Border Patrol agent and one count of using and discharging a firearm during that assault.
A judge recently ordered Youngblut to be held without bail until the preliminary hearing on February 7th.
Federal investigators have now expanded their focus to 32-year-old Michelle Zajko, who police say purchased the handguns used in Maland’s shooting.
Zajko, a biological man who identifies as a woman, is also believed to be a person of interest in the 2023 murder of his parents, Richard and Rita Zajko, who were both shot to death in their Pennsylvania home.
Zajko has been described as “armed and dangerous,” and police records show that Zajko openly adheres to an “anti-law enforcement ideology.”
Zajko, Youngblut, and Bauckholt are all alleged to be part of a cult called the “Zizians,” or “Ziz,” made up of transgender-identifying vegan “rationalists,” in their own words.
Additionally, court records indicate Youngblut is also a person of interest in the killing of a Vallejo, California landlord, 82-year-old Curtis Lind.
Here’s where it gets interesting.
Last year, Youngblut filed a marriage application with 22-year-old Maximillian Snyder — who was arrested for Lind’s murder last week.
In 2023, Lind survived an attack from three members of the trans cult who were squatting on his property.
He was then stabbed multiple times, had a sword impaled through his chest and through his right eye — losing it soon after.
During the attack, he was able to shoot two of his attackers, killing one. Lind was scheduled to testify against his attackers, Alexander “Somni” Leatham and Amir “Emma” Borhanian.
Court documents detail how Lind was a key witness to the crime and “was [therefore] intentionally killed to prevent his testimony in a criminal proceeding.”
“It is tragic,” said Paul Sequeira with the Solano County District Attorney’s Office. “It shakes the whole foundation of the criminal justice system when a witness is then murdered.”
Snyder has been ordered to remain behind bars without bail and is scheduled to appear in court on February 6th.
Meanwhile, Leatham and Borhanian are set to face trial in April. However, Lind was the only witness.
The cult is said to be led by Jack “Ziz” LaSota, who is also a biological male that identifies as a transgender female. It has also been alleged that LaSota influences his followers to kill in order to show their loyalty.
Warrants have been issued for their arrest in Pennsylvania.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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