FBI Arrests Suspect in 5-Year-Old January 6 Pipe Bomb Investigation

Federal authorities have finally made an arrest in the long-running investigation into the pipe bombs planted outside Republican and Democratic national headquarters on the eve of January 6, 2021.

According to multiple reports, the suspect is a man from Virginia. NBC News identified him as Brian Cole, though the Justice Department has not yet publicly confirmed his identity or the specific charges he faces. A press conference is expected later today, where more details may be revealed.

The arrest comes more than five years after the homemade explosive devices were discovered near the RNC and DNC offices in Washington, D.C. Though the bombs never detonated, officials have repeatedly said they were capable of inflicting serious harm.

The case has frustrated investigators and members of the public alike, especially as hundreds of others involved in January 6 have already been charged and sentenced. The FBI had offered a $500,000 reward for information leading to the bomber’s capture. Surveillance footage previously released showed the masked suspect walking near the scene the night before the Capitol riot. The individual was believed to be approximately 5’7″.

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino addressed the delays in solving the case during a recent briefing, noting the agency overhauled its strategy in recent months.

“Despite the multitude of challenges we faced, one of our first initiatives was to aggressively pursue a new strategy to investigate the January 6 pipe bomb, terror attack,” Bongino said. “We brought in new personnel to take a look at the case, we flew in police officers and detectives working as TFOs to review FBI work, we conducted multiple internal reviews, held countless meetings with investigative team members, dramatically increased resources, and boosted the public reward to crowdsource tips.”

The FBI’s work on the pipe bomb case has come under sharp criticism over the years, with some suggesting the bureau’s lack of transparency and slow progress raised serious questions about priorities or competence. This arrest marks the most significant development in the case to date.