FBI agents arrest DC pipe bomb suspect Brian Cole Jr at his Virginia home during Jan. 6 investigation.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – After nearly five years of questions, the FBI has put handcuffs on a suspect tied to the pipe bombs planted outside both the Democratic and Republican National Committee headquarters just hours before the Jan. 6 Capitol madness.
Federal agents stormed a quiet suburban neighborhood in Woodbridge, Virginia on Thursday and arrested 30-year-old Brian Cole Jr., dragging him out of his $700,000 home in a takedown that stunned his neighbors.
Cole is now facing explosive federal charges, including transporting explosives across state lines with intent to kill or injure and attempted destruction using explosive materials.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the arrest only happened after the case was revived and aggressively reworked under the Trump administration.
“This case had gone cold for far too long,” Bondi said. “Public trust suffered because justice wasn’t moving. That changed.”
HOW THE CASE WAS BROUGHT BACK OPEN
According to federal officials, a brand-new investigative team was assigned to comb through evidence that had been overlooked for years.
That fresh review included More than 3 million lines of cellphone data, extensive forensic re-analysis, multiple new search warrants and cell tower tracking placing Cole near Capitol Hill the night the bombs were planted.
Investigators believe the first device was placed outside the DNC around 7:54 p.m. and the second was dropped at the RNC around 8:16 p.m. on Jan. 5, 2021 — just hours before Congress was set to certify the 2020 election results.
The devices were discovered the next afternoon as the Capitol was under siege.
INSIDE THE BOMB-MAKING OPERATION
Federal complaints allege Cole spent years quietly assembling the bombs using parts bought from eight different Home Depot locations, plus Lowe’s, Walmart, and Micro Center across Northern Virginia.
The bombs were allegedly built from:
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Eight-inch galvanized steel pipes
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End caps
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9-volt batteries
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Electrical wiring
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Explosive caps and steel wool
Authorities say the materials were purchased between 2019 and 2020, showing long-term planning.
Cole was arrested just one month before the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack.
Officials warn that additional charges — and possibly additional suspects — could still surface.
