The enigmatic "Zizian" fringe group, linked to the recent shooting of a Vermont U.S. Border Patrol agent, has been brought into the limelight by a cult expert.
The group, named after its founder, Jack Amadeus LaSota, a 34-year-old transgender computer engineer known as "Ziz," is a collective of vegan activists, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.
The Zizians, originating from the West Coast, were thrust into national attention following the fatal shooting of U.S. Border Patrol Agent David "Chris" Maland in Vermont on January 20. The incident involved a violent confrontation with German national Felix "Ophelia" Bauckholt and University of Washington student Teresa "Milo" Consuelo Youngblut near the U.S.-Canada border.
According to court documents previously obtained by Fox News, "The registered owner of the vehicle, Felix Bauckholt, a citizen of Germany, appeared to have an expired visa in a Department of Homeland Security database. Youngblut was driving the Prius, and Bauckholt was the lone passenger in the Prius." The documents further revealed that both Bauckholt and Youngblut were armed and that Youngblut fired a handgun at one of the Border Patrol Agents without warning.
The ensuing gunfire led to the deaths of Bauckholt and Maland. Youngblut, who was injured, was subsequently charged with using a deadly weapon while assaulting a United States Border Patrol agent, and using and discharging a firearm during and in relation to that assault. Federal prosecutors have cautioned that Youngblut's "associations with other individuals suspected of violent acts also warrants caution." They also linked the firearms used in the shootout to a person of interest in a double homicide in Pennsylvania, suggesting a broader web of violence tied to the Zizians.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that "Law enforcement officials are investigating six deaths linked to associates of LaSota."
Dar Dixon, an actor and the podcast host of "The Art of Being Dar," shared his cult expertise with Fox News Digital, highlighting the cult-like behavior of the Zizians. "The thing that I noticed about this Zizian cult is that it hits all the major points that will set somebody up to be involved in it. You've got transgender human beings, all right? You're dealing with sexuality. You're dealing with sexual identity, and you're dealing with sex. Anytime you do all those things, you've already got someone, as they say, by the tight and curlies," he said.
Dixon also pointed out the group's restrictive diet, noting that the Zizians were vegan. "So when you start to mix in the sexual aspect, then with a restrictive diet, now what you're doing is behavior control."
Drawing on cult expert Steven Hassan's BITE Model of Authoritarian Control, Dixon explained how cults emotionally control their members. "I'm sure there was a lot of sleep deprivation going on also, which affects your thoughts, which affects your emotions, which also affects your behavior and your ability to take in and process information," he said.
He further elaborated on the emotional control within the group. "This is part of the emotional control. You're never allowed to feel your feelings or to discuss your feelings. If you don't step in line with the party line, you're immediately reprimanded, sometimes severely, either verbally or physically, or you're shunned."
Dixon concluded by saying, "So the culmination of sexual identity, food restriction, sleep restriction, and emotional restriction, well, now I've got you. I own you. And I can take you any direction I want to take you now."
The Zizian group's alleged involvement in a series of violent acts, coupled with their cult-like behavior, raises serious concerns about the potential threat they pose. As investigations continue, the extent of their influence and the depth of their connections to other violent incidents will likely become clearer.
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