The two suspects involved in a shootout that killed a U.S. border patrol agent in northern Vermont had an arsenal of weapons and tactical gear, including 48 rounds of .380-caliber jacketed hollow point ammunition, a ballistic helmet and night vision equipment, according to court documents unsealed Friday.
The suspects were identified as Teresa Youngblut of Washington state, who was wounded in the gun battle, and Felix Bauckholt, a German national who was killed. Border patrol agent David “Chris” Maland, 44, also died in the exchange of gunfire on a highway just 20 miles south of the Canadian border.
The court documents do not make clear whether Maland was struck by one of Youngblut’s bullets or a shot fired by a fellow agent.
U.S. Border Patrol agent David Maland.Courtesy Joan Maland via AP
The incident unfolded after 3 p.m. on Monday, after a border patrol agent pulled over a blue 2015 Toyota Prius to conduct an immigration inspection. Multiple agents in three vehicles then arrived to the scene, court documents say.
Bauckholt, the registered owner of the vehicle, appeared to have an expired visa in a Department of Homeland Security database, according to court documents. The FBI had previously said the German national involved in the incident was on a current visa.
At some point during the traffic stop, Youngblut opened fire toward at least one of the agents while standing outside the Prius’ driver’s side door. Bauckholt then attempted to draw his firearm, according to court documents, prompting at least one border agent to open fire at Bauckholt and Youngblut.
Bauckholt was declared dead at the scene. Maland was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead at about 4 p.m. Youngbut was taken to a local hospital, where she remains, the court documents say.
Investigators recovered at the scene a .380 caliber pistol and .40 caliber pistol believed to have been used by the two suspects. Youngblut is believed to have fired at least two rounds. The agents returned fire with at least seven shots, according to the court documents.
Homeland Security Investigations agents had been performing “periodic surveillance” of Buckhault and Youngblut since Jan. 14, according to the documents.
An employee of a hotel in Lyndonville, Vermont, had contacted law enforcement to report concerns about a man and a woman who had checked into the hotel, the documents say. The woman, later identified to be Youngblut, was seen carrying “an apparent firearm in an exposed carry holster.” Both Bauckholt and Youngblut were wearing “all-black, tactical style clothing with protective equipment.”
After getting the report from the hotel employee, Homeland Security agents attempted to speak with the pair. They refused to have an extended conversation, claiming that they were in the area looking to buy real estate, according to the court documents.
Youngblut and Bauckholt then checked out of the hotel and were seen walking in downtown Newport five days later, with Youngblut carrying a handgun, the court documents say.
The following day, hours before the fatal traffic stop, the pair stopped at a Walmart, where Bauckholt purchased two boxes of aluminum foil. The court documents say investigators found at the shooting scene suspected cellphones wrapped in what appeared to be aluminum foil, an apparent attempt to prevent the phones from being tracked.
In addition to the ammunition, helmet and night vision monocular, investigators searching the suspects’ Prius found a tactical belt with a holster, a pair of handheld two-way radios, a magazine loaded with cartridges and a package of shooting range targets, some of which had been used, according to the court documents.
Youngblut is facing two charges in connection with the incident, including intentional use of a deadly weapon while interfering with federal law enforcement. Her lawyer declined to comment.
Maland was a U.S. Air Force veteran from Minnesota. His family described him as a devoted agent who “truly embodied service over self.” At the time of his death, Maland was planning to propose to his girlfriend.
“The family is just brokenhearted. That’s all I can say,” his aunt, Joan Maland, told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune earlier this week. “He loved his family and was looking forward to a life with the love of his life and her daughter.”
Maland was the first Border Patrol agent to be killed by gunfire in the line of duty since 2014.
Carlo Angerer contributed.
