Brian Cole Jr, the man accused of planting pipe bombs near the headquarters of the Republican and Democratic national committees on the eve of the January 6 Capitol attack, faces two new felony charges, according to a newly released indictment. The 30-year-old from Woodbridge, Virginia, was initially arrested in December and charged with transporting and placing two improvised explosive devices outside the DNC and RNC buildings. The updated indictment adds charges of attempting to use weapons of mass destruction and carrying out an act of terrorism while armed.
Although the devices never detonated, the FBI has stated they were functional. The investigation had remained unsolved for years, with officials from the Trump administration prioritising its resolution. Cole has pleaded not guilty to the original charges but has yet to be formally arraigned on the new ones. In January, a judge ordered his continued detention, ruling that he poses an intolerable risk to the community and that no conditions of release could ensure public safety.
Court documents reveal that Cole told investigators he believed the 2020 election had been interfered with and that 'someone needs to speak up'. He described in detail how he constructed, transported, and planted the pipe bombs. When asked about his motive, he said 'something just snapped' after 'watching everything, just everything getting worse'. Cole reportedly stated he did not intend to target the joint session of Congress during the attack.
On January 6, 2021, supporters of Donald Trump stormed the Capitol, halting the certification of electoral votes. Trump has repeatedly falsely claimed he won the 2020 election. Cole explained that he travelled to Washington to protest the election results and targeted both political parties because 'they were in charge', adding 'I really don’t like either party at this point.'
