Transgender Vegan Cult Linked to Border Patrol Agent’s Murder and Other Killings

The radical trans-vegan cult led by a self-proclaimed transgender woman known as Ziz has now been connected to yet another violent crime, this time the brutal killing of Border Patrol Agent David C. Maland near the Canadian border in Vermont

As NH Journal has reported, this group, rooted in extreme techno-rationalist ideology, has been implicated in at least three other murders. Post-Millinial’s Andy Ngo has extensively reported on this story.

Teresa “Milo” Consuelo Youngblut, 21, of Washington state, is currently being held without bail on federal charges tied to Maland’s January 20th killing. Her associate, German national Felix “Ophelia” Bauckholt, was shot and killed during the deadly encounter with law enforcement.

On Thursday, United States Magistrate Judge Kevin Doyle ruled that the evidence against Youngblut is overwhelming, justifying her continued detention without bail, as reported by NH Journal and VTDigger.

Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Lasher warned the court that Youngblut’s association with Ziz makes her a significant danger to society.

“The defendant’s possession and use of a firearm, combined with her itineracy and associations, suggests she poses a current and substantial danger to the community that could not be addressed by a condition or a combination of conditions of pretrial release,” Lasher wrote.

Youngblut and Bauckholt were both deeply involved with Jack LaSota, a California-based trans-identified male who goes by “Ziz” and has built a following centered around a dangerous mix of vegan extremism, artificial intelligence, and militant transgender activism, according to NH Journal and court records. Known as “Zizians” in the San Francisco tech world, members of this cult have been implicated in multiple homicides, including the murder of an elderly rancher and the brutal killings of a Pennsylvania couple who were the parents of another devoted Zizian.

Ziz, whose teachings reportedly emphasize rejecting morality, advocating for endless conflict escalation, and utilizing sleep deprivation to unlock multiple personas, has been linked to extreme and violent behavior among followers. Ziz has even been accused of faking their own death and is currently in custody in connection with the Pennsylvania killings.

Zizians have gained a reputation for their radicalism in the Bay Area tech community, with Ziz once writing in a now-deleted blog post about bringing “hell” to non-vegan rationalists. In 2019, they made headlines for disrupting a Center for Applied Rationality (CFAR) event, alarming attendees so much that police were called.

The group’s violent streak continued on January 17, when Zizian member Maximilian Snyder fatally stabbed 82-year-old Curtis Lind in Vallejo, California. Lind had survived a previous assassination attempt by Zizians in 2022, when he shot and killed one attacker and wounded two others. He was set to testify against the surviving Zizians, Alexander Leatham and Suri Dao, before Snyder killed him.

Snyder had a history with Youngblut—the two even applied for a marriage license in Washington state last November, though no record of their actual marriage exists.

Another Zizian, Michelle Zajko, who identifies as nonbinary, allegedly purchased the firearms Youngblut and Bauckholt used during their deadly traffic stop with Maland. Zajko is also wanted for questioning in the 2023 Pennsylvania murders of her parents, Richard and Rita Zajko.

During Maland’s final encounter, Youngblut reportedly fired on him while Bauckholt fumbled his own weapon before being shot dead in the ensuing firefight. The pair had been under federal surveillance for a week in Newport, Vermont, openly carrying firearms and wearing tactical gear while moving through town.

The gravity of the situation prompted U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to make a surprise visit to the Vermont border on Thursday to speak with Border Patrol agents, though she did not offer any public statements.

NH Journal continues to follow this shocking story as authorities unravel the full extent of the deadly trans-vegan cult’s influence and crimes.