US authorities have arrested and charged a suspect in connection with pipe bombs planted outside the headquarters of both the Democratic and Republican parties in Washington DC on the eve of the 6 January 2021 Capitol attack. The suspect, identified as Brian Cole, 30, from Woodbridge, Virginia, was taken into custody on Thursday, according to the Department of Justice.
The devices were placed on the night of 5 January 2021, and discovered the following day, the same afternoon that a mob of Donald Trump's supporters stormed Congress. The FBI said no new tip or witness led to the arrest, but rather a re-examination of existing forensic evidence, led by FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated the case had "languished for four years" under the previous administration.
Cole faces charges including transporting an explosive device with intent to kill or injure, and attempted malicious destruction using explosives. The FBI director, Kash Patel, confirmed the arrest was peaceful. Cole lives with his parents and works for a bail bond company, a source told Reuters. No motive has been disclosed, with officials emphasising the investigation is at an early stage.
The pipe bombs were rendered safe and no one was hurt, but both devices could have been lethal. Court documents reveal Cole purchased components for the bombs, including kitchen timers, from hardware stores in northern Virginia during 2019 and 2020. On 6 January 2021, his car was tracked near the scene, and his mobile phone data placed him in the area at the time the bombs were planted.
Then vice-president-elect Kamala Harris passed within 20ft of one of the devices outside the Democratic National Committee headquarters. The arrest is the first in a case that had long puzzled investigators and spawned numerous conspiracy theories.
