DOJ seeks death penalty for Teresa Youngblut in Border Patrol agent murder

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has been authorized to seek the death penalty in a case against Teresa Youngblut, the woman accused in the Jan. 20 shooting that killed U.S. Border Patrol Agent David Maland.

A federal grand jury returned the four-count indictment Thursday against 21-year-old Youngblut, charging her with the murder of Maland, the assault of two other agents with a deadly weapon and related gun offenses.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi formally authorized the pursuit of capital punishment, and the acting U.S. attorney for the District of Vermont has filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty in the case, the agency said Thursday. 

Youngblut has been linked by investigators to “Ziz,” a fringe, self-described vegan, anti-government, transgender-rights collective that federal authorities say may be connected to multiple homicides throughout the U.S.

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According to court documents, the new indictment outlines additional details about the hours leading up to the Jan. 20 shooting in Coventry, Vermont.

Days before the deadly traffic stop, law enforcement took note of Youngblut and Felix Bauckholt, a German citizen whose immigration status “was in question,” the DOJ said. The agency said a hotel employee reported they were wearing tactical gear and appeared armed. 

On the day of the shooting, officers allegedly saw the pair in a Newport, Vermont, parking lot, where the man was observed wrapping unknown objects in aluminum foil. 

During the stop along Interstate 91, both suspects were reportedly armed, and prosecutors allege Youngblut exited the pair’s Toyota Prius and opened fire without warning, killing Maland and endangering two other agents.

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Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division called the killing “an attack on the men and women who protect our communities and our borders,” vowing that federal prosecutors “will not stand for such attacks.” 

Acting U.S. Attorney Michael P. Drescher for the District of Vermont said his office would continue to “honor the men and women of law enforcement and the memory of Border Patrol Agent Maland by performing its prosecutorial duties so that justice may be done.” 

FBI Assistant Director Jose A. Perez described the murder of a federal agent as “more than a tragic loss,” calling it “an attack on the security of our nation and the safety of our communities” and pledging the bureau “will not rest until those responsible are held accountable.”

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The Trump admin’s decision to fast-track Youngblut’s death penalty case came after her attorneys accused the DOJ’s timeline of being “unprecedentedly tight” and warned it could render the pretrial process “a near-pointless formality.”

“This Court should step in to ensure Ms. Youngblut receives a meaningful opportunity to persuade the government not to pursue the death penalty,” a July 30 pretrial motion said.

The defense asked the court to extend the deadline to Jan. 30, 2026, arguing the current pace denies Youngblut due process.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the DOJ and Youngblut’s defense attorneys, Steven Barth and Julie Stelzig, for comment.