Suspect arrested in January 6 DC pipe bomb case

The FBI arrested a suspect in its investigation into pipe bombs planted near the National Republican and Democratic Party headquarters in Washington, D.C., on January 5, 2021, according to a federal law enforcement official familiar with the investigation.

This arrest marks a major breakthrough in a case that has blocked investigators for almost five years.

An FBI official said the arrest took place Thursday morning. A press conference will be held Thursday at the Justice Department to officially announce the arrest.

Federal investigators said an individual placed a pipe bomb near the Democratic National Committee headquarters and another near the Republican National Committee headquarters on the eve of the Jan. 6 Capitol siege.

Since then, the FBI has repeatedly asked the public for information that could lead to an arrest, including releasing additional video in January of the suspect planting one of the bombs. The office said the suspect was approximately 5 feet 7 inches tall and was wearing Nike Air Max Speed ​​Turf shoes with a gold logo.

In 2023, the FBI increased the reward for providing information leading to an arrest from $100,000 to $500,000.

Lawmakers criticized the lack of arrests in the case.

The FBI said the pipe bombs, discovered Jan. 6 about 15 hours after they were placed, were viable devices that could have seriously injured or killed bystanders. The office said investigators conducted more than 1,000 interviews and reviewed tens of thousands of video files.

The mystery of the bomber’s identity has helped fuel some conspiracy theories, including the idea that the government set up supporters of President Donald Trump who stormed the Capitol. Last month, the FBI debunked another report suggesting the bombs were planted by a former Capitol Police officer.

While Trump pardoned the Jan. 6 rioters, including those who attacked law enforcement, on his first day back in office this year, the terms of the pardons did not extend to the individual who planted pipe bombs near the RNC and DNC.