A federal grand jury in the District of Vermont returned a four-count indictment Thursday against Seattle resident Teresa Youngblut, 21, for the murder of a Border Patrol agent last January, while the prosecution will seek the death penalty for the defendant.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi authorized the Vermont prosecutor to seek the death penalty for Youngblut for the murder of the federal agent, according to a statement released by the Justice Department.
According to court documents, on January 20, a Border Patrol agent stopped a Toyota Prius vehicle on the interstate in Coventry, Vermont. Youngblut and a German citizen were in the car.
During the stop, the young woman exited the vehicle, fired shots at several officers and caused the death of one, identified as David Maland.
Days earlier, authorities had taken note of the pair after a hotel employee reported that both were wearing tactical gear and appeared to be armed. On the same day as the shooting, the two were seen in a parking lot in Newport, where Youngblut’s companion was packing unknown items in aluminum foil.
“The murder of a federal agent is more than a tragic loss; it is an attack on our nation’s security,” stated Jose Perez, assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “We will not rest until those responsible are held accountable,” he added.
According to official ICE data, in the first few months of 2025 the agency arrested more than 32,000 people and deported more than 150,000 from around the world.
ICE’s Office of Homeland Security Investigations has also conducted operations against serious crimes and employers of undocumented workers, as part of the federal strategy to reduce the presence of undocumented immigrants in the U.S., estimated at more than eleven million, according to information from EFE.
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