The FBI has arrested a Woodbridge, Virginia, man believed to be responsible for planting pipe bombs near the Republican and Democratic National Committee headquarters on the eve of the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, according to two law enforcement sources.
Authorities identified the suspect as Brian Cole Jr., and CNN observed both federal and local law enforcement at a residence connected to him in the Washington, DC, suburbs. Attempts to contact other individuals at the home have not been successful.
On Thursday morning, a large law enforcement presence surrounded the cul-de-sac where Cole is known to live. Agents examined the property and surrounding area, with some personnel in white hazmat suits inspecting the street. Several FBI agents were seen in the backyard, and more than a dozen dark-colored SUVs were parked nearby.
Two neighbors said authorities arrived around 8 a.m. ET and made announcements over a loudspeaker.
The arrest marks a major development in a nearly five-year investigation to identify the individual seen in surveillance footage wearing a hoodie, gloves, and a mask while placing the devices. Video released by the FBI previously showed the suspect leaving one bomb outside the DNC headquarters and another behind the RNC building, just blocks from the Capitol.
Then–Vice President-elect Kamala Harris came within roughly 20 feet of the DNC device the following morning. Its discovery diverted law enforcement resources as the Capitol riot was beginning to unfold.
Officials have said both devices were functional and could have caused serious harm had they detonated. Their discovery drew police attention away from the Capitol complex shortly before rioters breached security lines.
Investigators have sifted through tens of thousands of videos, reviewed hundreds of tips, analyzed cell tower data, and examined sales information for the Nike Air Max shoes worn by the suspect—fewer than 25,000 pairs of that model were sold at the time. The effort was hampered by low-quality surveillance footage and the fact that, during the pandemic winter night, a masked individual in a hoodie attracted little notice.
Despite offering a $500,000 reward and conducting roughly a thousand interviews, investigators struggled for years to identify the person who planted the bombs the night before then-President Donald Trump pushed to overturn the 2020 election results. The devices went unnoticed for about 15 hours, allowing the suspect ample time to leave the area.
The case has drawn renewed attention during the Trump administration, as some of the former president’s allies have used the unresolved investigation to promote unfounded claims that the Capitol attack was an “inside job.” One of those allies, Dan Bongino, now serves as deputy director of the FBI.
Before joining the bureau, Bongino claimed on his podcast that the FBI already knew who the bomber was and was concealing it. He suggested the government might later try to label the bombs a “training exercise” if those theories were validated.
Since taking office, Bongino has continued to emphasize the case. In a Fox News interview soon after his appointment, he said he felt the bureau was “closing in on some suspects,” though people familiar with the matter said that was not accurate at the time. Some promising leads later fizzled.
In recent months, however, investigators developed new, more substantial leads. Just last month, Bongino wrote on X that the bureau had expanded its investigative team, brought in outside officers and detectives to re-examine earlier work, and conducted internal reviews.