FBI Says DC Pipe Bomb Suspect Brian Cole Kept Buying Bomb Parts After January 6
Federal agents on Thursday announced the arrest of a suspect accused of planting the two pipe bombs discovered near the U.S. Capitol complex on the eve of January 6, 2021. Authorities identified the man as Brian J. Cole Jr., a resident of Woodbridge, Virginia. This arrest marks a major break in a case that has irritated the authorities for almost five years.
Cole, 30, is charged with transporting an explosive device across state lines with the intent to kill, injure, intimidate or destroy property and with attempting to damage and destroy the headquarters of the Republican and Democratic National Committees using an explosive device. If convicted, he could face decades in prison.
According to an affidavit, investigators linked Cole to the bombs through a combination of surveillance footage, historical cell site data and years of purchasing records showing he purchased every major component used to build the devices. Agents say Cole acquired the same model of galvanized pipe, matching end caps and nine-volt connectors, among other items, from several hardware stores in Northern Virginia in 2019 and 2020.
Cole continued to purchase components used in making bombs after his bombs were discovered in the Capitol, agents allege, listing the purchase of a white kitchen timer and two nine-volt batteries at Walmart on Jan. 21, as well as galvanized pipes at Home Depot the next day.
Senior Trump administration officials quickly cast the arrest as vindication of their own leadership, saying the case had gone unaddressed. Attorney General Pam Bondi said she hoped the arrest would restore public confidence after what she called a “complete lack of movement” in a case that had been “dragging for four years.” The breakthrough, they said, was proof that the case only moved forward once they were empowered to “go after the bad guys” and stop “focusing on other unnecessary things,” as FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino put it.
“Even though it had been almost five years, our team continued to process enormous amounts of data and information that we used to identify this suspect,” said Darren Cox, deputy assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigation Division.
The bombs were planted near the headquarters of the Republican and Democratic National Committees on the night of January 5, 2021, as Congress prepared to certify Joe Biden’s electoral victory over Donald Trump. Both failed to detonate, but their discovery the next day added to the chaos and confusion that occurred as a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol building, causing millions of dollars in damage and injuring about 140 Capitol and Metropolitan Police officers.
