According to court documents released Friday, the two suspects in a shootout that killed a U.S. border patrol agent in northern Vermont had a tactical gear and weaponry arsenal that included a ballistic helmet, night vision equipment, and 48 rounds of jacketed hollow point ammunition in the caliber of.380.
The suspects were identified as Felix Bauckholt, a German national who was killed in the gunfight, and Teresa Youngblut of Washington state, who was injured. Just 20 miles south of the Canadian border, a gunfight on a roadway claimed the life of Border Patrol agent David “Chris” Maland, 44.
Whether Maland was hit by one of Youngblut’s bullets or a shot from a fellow agent is unclear from the court documents.
After a border patrol official stopped a blue 2015 Toyota Prius for an immigration check at 3 p.m. on Monday, the incident started. Then, according to court filings, three vehicles carrying many operatives arrived at the location.
According to court filings, the vehicle’s registered owner, Bauckholt, seemed to have an expired visa on a Department of Homeland Security database. The FBI had previously stated that the incident’s German perpetrator was in possession of a valid visa.
Youngblut was standing outside the driver’s side door of the Prius when he opened fire on at least one of the agents during the traffic check. According to court documents, at least one border agent then opened fire on Bauckholt and Youngblut after he tried to draw his gun.
At the scene, Bauckholt was pronounced deceased. After being taken to a local hospital, Maland was declared dead at approximately 4 p.m. According to court documents, Youngbut was brought to a nearby hospital and is currently there.
A.380 caliber handgun and a.40 caliber handgun that investigators think were used by the two suspects were found at the site. At least two bullets are thought to have been fired by Youngblut. At least seven rounds were fired back by the agents, according to the court filings.
According to the records, Buckhault and Youngblut had been the subject of “periodic surveillance” by Homeland Security Investigations agents since January 14.
According to the documents, a hotel employee in Lyndonville, Vermont, had called the police to voice concerns on a man and a woman who had checked into the establishment. Youngblut, the woman who was eventually identified, was observed with “an apparent firearm in an exposed carry holster.” Youngblut and Bauckholt were both dressed in “all-black, tactical style clothing with protective equipment.”
Homeland Security officials tried to contact the couple after receiving the hotel employee’s report. According to the court documents, they declined to engage in a lengthy discussion, stating that they were in the area in order to purchase real estate.
Five days after checking out of the hotel, Youngblut and Bauckholt were spotted strolling through downtown Newport, according to the court filings, with Youngblut brandishing a weapon.
Hours before the deadly traffic encounter the next day, Bauckholt bought two boxes of aluminum foil when the two stopped at a Walmart. Investigators discovered telephones wrapped in what looked like aluminum foil near the shooting scene, allegedly in an effort to stop the phones from being tracked, according to court records.
According to court documents, investigators searching the suspects’ Prius discovered a tactical belt with a holster, two handheld two-way radios, a magazine full of cartridges, and a package of shooting range targets, some of which had been used, in addition to the ammunition, helmet, and night vision monocular.
Youngblut is accused of intentionally using a lethal weapon while obstructing federal law enforcement, one of two accusations related to the event. Her attorney remained silent.
Maland was a Minnesota native who served in the U.S. Air Force. According to his family, he was a loyal agent who “truly embodied service over self.” Maland was preparing to pop the question to his girlfriend at the time of his passing.
The family is simply devastated. Joan Maland, his aunt, told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune earlier this week, “That’s all I can say.” He cherished his family and looked forward to living with his true love and her daughter.
Since 2014, Maland was the first Border Patrol officer to be shot and killed while performing their duties.