A Year After Border Agent’s Killing, Seven Alleged 'Zizians' Remain Jailed as Multi‑State Cases Stall

Seven people identified by authorities as members of a group dubbed the "Zizians" remain jailed across three states a year after a deadly series of incidents culminated in the killing of a U.S. Border Patrol agent. Arrests, multi-jurisdictional investigations and delayed trials have left several cases unresolved as prosecutors gather evidence.

Arrests And Allegations

Jack “Ziz” LaSota, Michelle Zajko and Daniel Blank were arrested on Feb. 16, 2025, after a landowner found them living in box trucks on a snow-covered dirt road in western Maryland. Police quickly linked the trio to investigations into violent incidents that span California, Pennsylvania and Vermont, according to court records and pretrial testimony.

The Maryland State Police noted the arrests could yield questions about other crimes across the country and described the group as having ties to what authorities referred to as the "Zizians Cult." Investigators say many members are young, highly skilled in computer science and share radical views on topics such as veganism, animal rights, gender identity and artificial intelligence.

Charges, Delays And Defense Claims

In Cumberland, Md., LaSota, Zajko and Blank face state charges including possession and intent to distribute LSD, multiple firearms violations, trespassing and hindering a police officer. Zajko also faces a resisting-arrest count. Jury selection that was scheduled to begin was delayed after Zajko dismissed her attorney, briefly represented herself and later retained new counsel.

In handwritten filings submitted while jailed, Zajko has made sweeping allegations of rights violations — including claims of informants inside the Allegany County Detention Center and accusations of misconduct by police and prosecutors. In a 20-page filing she asked the court to dismiss the case, writing in part:

"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."

Defense attorneys and the lead prosecutor have declined comment or not responded to interview requests.

Connections To Other Killings

Authorities have tied members of the group to a string of fatal incidents since 2022: the death of a group member in an attack on a California landlord, the later killing of that landlord, the shooting deaths of Zajko’s parents in Pennsylvania, and a January 2025 highway shootout in Vermont that left Border Patrol Agent David Maland and another alleged Zizian dead.

Federal records indicate Zajko is accused of supplying weapons used in the Vermont shootout by two other alleged members. Prosecutors in Vermont allege Teresa Youngblut opened fire during a traffic stop and was then wounded by an agent; her companion, Felix Bauckholt, was also killed. Youngblut has pleaded not guilty and faces a potential capital charge.

The judge in Youngblut’s case recently suspended pretrial motion deadlines, citing the complexity of the capital case and noting that discovery will include material tied to investigations in multiple jurisdictions.

Other Pending Cases

Two alleged Zizians, Suri Dao and Alexander Leatham, are charged in a 2022 California attack that resulted in the death of a group member; their trial has been postponed repeatedly. Another defendant, Maximilian Snyder, is charged separately in the killing of a California landlord in 2025. Dao’s attorney has said competency hearings are pending and that Dao pleads not guilty.

LaSota, described by authorities as an apparent leader of the group, faces a separate federal trial in Baltimore in May on a charge of being an armed fugitive; LaSota has asked that charge be dismissed, arguing it infringes on her Second Amendment rights. Authorities also allege LaSota once faked her own death to evade charges, an assertion she disputes.

Investigations Continue

No one has been charged in the deaths of Richard and Rita Zajko in Chester Heights, Pennsylvania; the Delaware County district attorney’s office says the matter remains under investigation. Trooper Brandon Jeffries wrote in a report that Blank is being investigated in connection with a double homicide in Delaware County.

Local residents and law enforcement have described concern about the group’s presence in Maryland. A landowner in Eckhart Mines told police he allowed members to stay overnight but then called state police after becoming uneasy. Trooper Jeffries testified that a recent news article about the group, the members’ tactical clothing and the way their trucks were prepared prompted him to identify them before they left.

While the detainees have discussed a joint defense strategy, some defendants’ lawyers have sought to distinguish their clients from others arrested that day. Family members of victims and those accused have largely declined to comment.

Reporting was contributed from Concord, New Hampshire.