7 Zizians Face Criminal Charges in 3 States After Border Agent's Killing

The group linked to multiple deaths across the country is now jailed and awaiting trial

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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A year after a U.S. border agent was killed in a shootout, seven members of the group known as the Zizians are facing criminal charges in three different states. The Zizians, described as young and highly intelligent computer scientists, have been tied to a series of violent incidents across the country, including the death of one of their own, the killing of a landlord, the shooting deaths of a member's parents, and the border agent's death. The group members are now jailed and awaiting trial on a range of charges, with their prosecutions inching along amid delays.

Why it matters

The Zizians have been linked to a string of violent incidents and deaths across multiple states, raising concerns about the group's radical beliefs and actions. The case highlights the challenges law enforcement faces in investigating and prosecuting members of such an elusive and mobile group. The outcome of these trials could shed light on the Zizians' motives and activities, as well as the broader issue of extremist groups and their impact on public safety.

The details

Police in Maryland quickly connected three Zizians - Jack 'Ziz' LaSota, Michelle Zajko, and Daniel Blank - to homicide investigations in California, Pennsylvania, and Vermont after they were found living in box trucks on a remote dirt road. The group is accused of being involved in the death of one of their own during an attack on a California landlord, the landlord's subsequent killing, the shooting deaths of Zajko's parents in Pennsylvania, and a highway shootout in Vermont that left a border agent and another Zizian dead. The three arrested in Maryland are facing charges including possession of LSD, gun violations, trespassing, and hindering a police officer. Two other Zizians are charged in the 2022 attack on a California landlord that left another member dead, while another is charged with killing that landlord three years later. LaSota also faces a federal charge of being an armed fugitive.

  • On February 16, 2025, LaSota, Zajko and Blank were arrested in the woods of western Maryland.
  • In January 2025, the fatal shootout between Zizians and a border agent occurred in Vermont, just hours after President Donald Trump's second inauguration.

The players

Jack 'Ziz' LaSota

The apparent leader of the Zizians group, LaSota is facing charges including possession of LSD, gun violations, trespassing, and hindering a police officer. She is also charged in federal court with being an armed fugitive, after authorities allege she faked her own death to evade charges.

Michelle Zajko

A member of the Zizians group, Zajko is charged along with LaSota and Blank in the Maryland case. She is also accused of supplying the guns used in the fatal Vermont shootout, and is considered a person of interest in the shooting deaths of her adoptive parents in Pennsylvania.

Daniel Blank

One of the three Zizians arrested in Maryland, Blank is charged alongside LaSota and Zajko. His parents are pressing for his release on bail, arguing he should not be detained due to the company he was arrested with.

Teresa Youngblut

A Zizian accused of opening fire on a Border Patrol agent in Vermont, leading to a shootout that left the agent and another Zizian dead. Youngblut has pleaded not guilty to murder and could face the death penalty if convicted.

David Maland

The Border Patrol agent killed in the Vermont shootout with Zizians.

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What they’re saying

“It is an act of obscene cruelty, despotism & the mark of a tyrannical regime to use a bad faith investigation & the threat of phony charges to conceal exculpatory evidence, threaten witnesses into silence, or threaten to put an innocent person to death, all to protect a murderous border patrol human.”

— Michelle Zajko (Handwritten court filing)

What’s next

The judge in Teresa Youngblut's Vermont case has suspended deadlines for pretrial motions, citing the complexity of the capital case and noting that the exchange of evidence 'will include material related to investigations into other individuals in multiple jurisdictions.'

The takeaway

This case highlights the challenges law enforcement faces in investigating and prosecuting members of elusive, mobile extremist groups like the Zizians, who are linked to a string of violent incidents across multiple states. The outcome of these trials could provide crucial insights into the group's motives, activities, and the broader issue of the impact of such radical organizations on public safety.