A federal grand jury in the District of Vermont on Thursday indicted Teresa Youngblut, a Seattle resident accused of murdering a border patrol agent, for the assault of two additional agents with a deadly weapon and related firearms offenses.
On Jan. 20., a U.S. Border Patrol agent conducted a traffic stop of a Toyota Prius on Interstate 91 in Coventry, Vt., that was driven by Youngblut and a male German citizen. Both were armed, and Youngblut exited the vehicle and opened fire, killing the agent.
A hotel employee a few days earlier, reported Youngblut and her companion were wearing tactical gear and appeared to be armed. On the day of the shooting, law enforcement officers observed them at a parking lot in Newport, Vt. The German citizen was wrapping unknown objects in aluminum foil.
“The FBI and our law enforcement partners will not rest until those responsible are held accountable,” Jose Perez, FBI Criminal Investigative Division assistant director, said. “We are all steadfast in our mission to curb violence that endangers both public servants and the citizens we are sworn to protect.”
Attorney General Pamela Bondi authorized and directed the Acting United States Attorney for the District of Vermont to pursue capital punishment, and the Acting U.S. Attorney filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty.