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

The group, known for radical beliefs, has been linked to a string of violent incidents and deaths since 2022.

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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A year after a U.S. border agent was killed and three members of the group known as the Zizians were arrested in western Maryland, seven of the group's members are now jailed in three states, all awaiting trial. The Zizians, a group of young, highly intelligent computer scientists, have been tied to a series of violent incidents and deaths across the country since 2022, including the killing of one of their own, the deaths of a California landlord and the parents of one of the members, and a fatal shootout with border patrol.

Why it matters

The Zizians case highlights the challenges law enforcement faces in dealing with extremist groups that espouse radical beliefs and engage in violent acts. The group's connections to multiple crimes across state lines also underscores the need for coordinated investigations and prosecutions.

The details

Police in Maryland quickly connected Jack 'Ziz' LaSota, Michelle Zajko and Daniel Blank to homicide investigations in California, Pennsylvania and Vermont after a landowner found them living in box trucks in western Maryland last February. The three were arrested on trespassing and gun charges. Zajko is also accused of supplying the guns used in a fatal shootout in Vermont that left a border agent and another Zizian dead. Two other Zizians, Suri Dao and Alexander Leatham, are charged in a 2022 attack on a California landlord that left another member dead, while another member, Maximilian Snyder, is charged with killing that landlord three years later.

  • On February 16, 2025, LaSota, Zajko and Blank were arrested in western Maryland.
  • In January 2025, a fatal shootout in Vermont left a border agent and another Zizian dead.
  • In 2022, Dao and Leatham were charged in an attack on a California landlord that left a Zizian member dead.
  • In 2025, Snyder was charged with killing the California landlord three years after the initial attack.

The players

Jack 'Ziz' LaSota

Described by authorities as the apparent leader of the Zizians group.

Michelle Zajko

A member of the Zizians group who is accused of supplying the guns used in a fatal shootout in Vermont and is a person of interest in the deaths of her adoptive parents in Pennsylvania.

Daniel Blank

A member of the Zizians group who was arrested with LaSota and Zajko in western Maryland.

Suri Dao

A Zizians member charged in a 2022 attack on a California landlord that left another member dead.

Alexander Leatham

A Zizians member charged in a 2022 attack on a California landlord that left another member dead.

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What they’re saying

“In the interest of Hope, Justice and Truth, for the good of all people, and for the establishment of a true peace, the defense moves to dismiss this case.”

— Michelle Zajko (Handwritten court filing)

“Renee Good is probably dead because the regime has so far been able to get away with murdering Ms. Bauckholt & framing Youngblut.”

— Michelle Zajko (Handwritten court filing)

What’s next

The judge in Teresa Youngblut's murder case in Vermont has suspended deadlines for pretrial motions, citing the complexity of the capital case and the need to review evidence related to investigations into other individuals in multiple jurisdictions.

The takeaway

The Zizians case highlights the challenges law enforcement faces in dealing with extremist groups that espouse radical beliefs and engage in violent acts across multiple states. The need for coordinated investigations and prosecutions is underscored by the group's connections to a string of violent incidents and deaths.