Federal authorities have identified the suspect accused of planting two pipe bombs near the Republican and Democratic national committee headquarters on Jan. 5, 2021. They named Brian Cole Jr., 30, of Woodbridge, Virginia, as the man at the center of a nearly five-year federal investigation. Two individuals briefed on the arrest confirmed Thursday that Cole is now in FBI custody. This marks the most significant breakthrough in a case that has long evaded resolution.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said Cole is charged with the use of an explosive device. He is expected to make his first court appearance on Friday in Washington, D.C. Cole was arrested earlier in the day in northern Virginia. Federal officials have not yet disclosed the full sequence of events leading to his apprehension. A federal law enforcement source told Fox News the FBI is currently conducting “court-enforced activity” at Cole’s residence as agents continue gathering evidence.
Cole’s step-grandfather, Earl Donnette, told NBC News he had spoken with agents but declined further comment. Authorities have not clarified whether Cole has legal representation, and no immediate details were available about his employment or possible motives.
Bondi sharply criticized how the investigation was handled before this year. She said the case “languished” during the Biden administration, despite the FBI possessing substantial digital and physical evidence. She emphasized that the arrest resulted from renewed investigative work, not any recent tip. “Let me be clear: there was no new tip. There was no new witness. Just good, diligent police work and prosecutorial work,” Bondi said. She added that FBI teams spent months re-reviewing material that “had been sitting at the FBI with the Biden administration for four long years.”
FBI Director Kash Patel praised the agencies involved, including U.S. Capitol Police, the Metropolitan Police Department, and U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro. He credited their renewed coordination for helping reinvigorate the probe. Investigators were able to retrace digital footprints, analyze surveillance footage with updated technology, and reexamine cellular and transactional data linked to the suspect.
Authorities discovered the two pipe bombs on Jan. 6, shortly before thousands of protesters began storming the U.S. Capitol during the certification of the 2020 election. Officials described both devices as viable and capable of causing mass casualties had they detonated. They noted that the presence of the bombs strained law enforcement resources already responding to security emergencies.
The FBI has previously released surveillance video showing the masked suspect placing the first device behind the RNC headquarters and the second near the DNC building. The footage was recorded more than 16 hours before the bombs were found. It captured a figure wearing a gray hoodie, gloves, glasses, and distinctive Nike Air Max Speed Turf sneakers. Those characteristics fueled public speculation for years but did not yield a credible suspect until investigators reworked the case in recent months.
For nearly half a decade, the lack of a named suspect raised questions from lawmakers and members of the public alike. This prompted congressional inquiries and periodic calls for updates from federal officials. Investigators conducted more than 1,000 interviews and reviewed tens of thousands of video files before zeroing in on Cole through the reevaluation of archived data. The FBI has not said whether additional arrests are possible or if agents believe others assisted in planning or executing the operation.
Cole’s arrest is expected to shift the investigation’s focus. Officials will work toward building a comprehensive timeline of his movements before and after Jan. 5, 2021. They are also examining whether the placement of the bombs was intended to divert law enforcement away from the Capitol as unrest escalated that day. Prosecutors may explore how Cole acquired components used in the devices and whether online communications or digital records reveal further intent.
As of Thursday evening, federal agents remained at multiple locations in northern Virginia. They are collecting potential evidence and interviewing individuals connected to the suspect. Authorities say more information will become public once Cole appears in court and initial filings are unsealed.
