Virginia man charged in case of pipe bombs near RNC and DNC headquarters

A Virginia man has been arrested in connection with the pipe bombs planted near the headquarters of the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee on January 5, 2021, according to the Department of Justice.

The arrest was announced on Thursday, when Attorney General Pamela Bondi said Brian J. Cole Jr. of Woodbridge, Virginia, has been charged with use of an explosive device after being taken into custody early in the morning. Bondi said search warrants are being executed and additional charges are possible.

“Today’s arrest happened because the Trump administration has made this case a priority,” she said, adding that investigators reviewed evidence that had remained unresolved for years.

“Let me be clear, there was no new tip, there was no new witness, just good, diligent police work and prosecutorial work… We know that this defendant was living just miles away from here, in Virginia.”

FBI Director Kash Patel said investigators reexamined the case from the ground up. “An individual who is now alleged to have placed multiple explosive devices, to blow up multiple people and multiple officials, innocent civilians, is now arrested,” Patel said.

Patel added that the FBI brought in new investigators and experts to review every piece of evidence. “As a result… we generated numerous investigative leads, executed multiple legal processes with the U.S. Attorney partners, and came to this conclusion today.”

Darren Cox, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, said the review required significant data analysis. “We dove into 3 million lines of data to come out with this suspect,” Cox said.

D.C. Attorney General Jeanine Pirro said investigators traced the sale of key components used in the devices. “There were 233,000 black end caps of the type that were used in this case,” she said. “Every one of those had to be mined and remined… along with the purchase of the pipe itself, the cap ends, the wires, the steel and the nine-volt batteries.”

According to the FBI, Cole is accused of transporting and placing two improvised explosive devices outside the RNC and DNC headquarters the night before the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Both devices were discovered on the afternoon of January 6 by security personnel and were safely neutralized.

The discovery of the bombs prompted the evacuation of nearby buildings and diverted law enforcement resources during the Capitol breach. Federal officials have described the devices as fully functional and capable of causing serious injury or death.

Officials have not provided any information about a possible motive for the placement of the devices, and investigators did not indicate whether they have determined why the bombs were planted near the party headquarters.