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

Arrests in Maryland woods linked to homicides in California, Pennsylvania, and Vermont

Published on Feb. 17, 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 jailed in three states, all awaiting trial. Police quickly connected the group to homicide investigations in multiple states after arresting three of them living in box trucks in the woods of western Maryland. The Zizians, described as young, highly intelligent computer scientists, have been tied to several violent incidents since 2022, including the death of one of their own, the killings of a California landlord and the parents of one of the group members, and the fatal shootout with the border agent in Vermont.

Why it matters

The Zizians have been linked to a string of violent incidents across the country, raising concerns about the group's radical beliefs and the potential threat they pose to public safety. The case also highlights the challenges law enforcement faces in investigating and prosecuting crimes tied to extremist groups.

The details

Police in Maryland arrested Jack 'Ziz' LaSota, Michelle Zajko, and Daniel Blank in February 2025 after a landowner found them living in box trucks at the end of a snow-covered dirt road. The three were charged with possession of LSD, gun violations, trespassing, and other offenses. Authorities say the group has been tied to homicides in California, Pennsylvania, and Vermont, including the killing of a U.S. border agent. Zajko is also accused of supplying the guns used in the Vermont shootout. The prosecutions have been slow-moving, with trial delays and little action in other cases.

  • On February 16, 2025, LaSota, Zajko, and Blank were arrested in the woods of western Maryland.
  • In January 2025, Border Patrol Agent David Maland was killed in a shootout with Zizians in Vermont.
  • In December 2022, the parents of Zizian member Michelle Zajko were shot and killed in Pennsylvania.
  • In 2022, a Zizian member named Emma Borhanian was killed during an attack on a landlord in California.

The players

Jack 'Ziz' LaSota

The apparent leader of the Zizians group, LaSota is charged with being an armed fugitive in federal court in Baltimore.

Michelle Zajko

A Zizian member charged with possession of LSD, gun violations, trespassing, and resisting arrest in Maryland. She is also accused of supplying the guns used in the Vermont shootout and is a person of interest in the killing of her parents in Pennsylvania.

Daniel Blank

A Zizian member charged with possession of LSD, gun violations, and trespassing in Maryland. His parents are pressing for his release on bail, arguing he should not be detained because of the company he was arrested with.

Border Patrol Agent David Maland

The border agent killed in a shootout with Zizians in Vermont in January 2025.

Teresa Youngblut

A Zizian member accused of opening fire on Border Patrol Agent David Maland during a traffic stop in Vermont, leading to the fatal shootout.

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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 (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 the need to review evidence related to investigations into other Zizian members in multiple jurisdictions.

The takeaway

The Zizians case highlights the challenges law enforcement faces in investigating and prosecuting crimes tied to extremist groups, as well as the potential threat such groups pose to public safety. The slow pace of the prosecutions and the sprawling allegations made by the Zizians members suggest a complex and ongoing legal battle.