The FBI has arrested a suspect in the killing of U.S. Border Patrol Agent David “Chris” Maland, who was shot and killed on Monday during a traffic stop in Vermont near the Canada border. Teresa Youngblut, a 21-year-old resident of Washington state, was taken into custody following the fatal shooting.
According to the FBI, Maland was shot by gunfire during a traffic stop on Interstate 91 between Newport and Orleans, Vermont. He was pronounced dead after being taken to a local hospital for emergency care.
The FBI’s Office in Albany, N.Y. announced the arrest on Friday, stating that Youngblut has been charged with assault on a federal law enforcement officer. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont also announced the charges.
According to an FBI criminal complaint, Maland, a Minnesota native and U.S. Air Force veteran, was working as a Border Patrol agent at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Newport Station. He had been in the military for nine years and had worked for the federal government for 15 years.
The shooting occurred when Maland attempted to stop a blue 2015 Toyota Prius with a North Carolina license plate for an immigration inspection. The registered owner of the vehicle, Felix Baukholt, a German citizen, appeared to have an expired visa in a Department of Homeland Security database.
Youngblut was driving the Prius, and Baukholt was the only passenger. Agents reported gunshots at the scene, and Superisory Border Patrol Agent Cameron Thompson responded to the scene, where he spoke with two of the involved Border Patrol agents who described that both Baukholt and Youngblut possessed firearms and that Youngblut drew and fired a handgun towards one of the agents without warning.
The exchange of gunfire resulted in Maland, Youngblut, and Baukholt all sustaining gunshot wounds. Baukholt was pronounced dead at the scene, while Maland was taken to a local hospital for emergency care and later pronounced dead. Youngblut is currently receiving care at a facility in New Hampshire.
The FBI had been conducting surveillance on Baukholt and Youngblut since January 14, after a concerned citizen reported suspicious activity to law enforcement.
