Federal investigators on Thursday arrested a suspect in one of the most enduring mysteries of the Jan. 6 era, taking into custody a man believed to have planted pipe bombs outside the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee headquarters on the eve of the 2021 Capitol riot. The arrest, confirmed by FBI sources, marks a major development for a case that has frustrated federal law enforcement for nearly five years and prompted one of the largest reward offers in bureau history.
Two senior law enforcement officials identified the suspect as Brian Cole, according to NBC News. Cole is expected to face charges in federal court in Washington, D.C., in connection with placing two improvised explosive devices near the DNC and RNC buildings on the evening of Jan. 5, 2021. The devices-composed of 1x8-inch pipes, kitchen timers and homemade black powder-never detonated, though investigators have long maintained they were viable and capable of causing mass casualties.
The bombs were not discovered until the afternoon of Jan. 6, when police resources were overwhelmed by rioting at the U.S. Capitol. Then-Vice President-elect Kamala Harris was inside the DNC headquarters when the device was located and was evacuated immediately. The case quickly became a top priority assignment for federal investigators even as more than 1,500 alleged Capitol rioters were tracked down and charged.
For years, the bomber's identity remained elusive. The FBI periodically released surveillance clips showing a masked figure in a gray hoodie placing the devices at 7:54 p.m. and 8:16 p.m. ET on Jan. 5. The bureau also increased the reward for information to $500,000. In May, Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino wrote on X that the case had drawn "additional resources and investigative attention," adding that he received weekly briefings and that the FBI was "making progress."
MS NOW reported that investigators have not yet identified a motive. The outlet quoted two people briefed on the matter as saying the suspect had been connected to "statements that show support for an anarchist ideology." However, the developments that led to the arrest did not come from newly uncovered material but rather from evidence largely gathered in 2021 and 2022, two sources told MS NOW.
That detail is likely to raise difficult questions internally. The sources told the outlet that the reliance on already-known evidence means the suspect "could feasibly have been arrested years earlier," a revelation they said could be embarrassing for the FBI after its prolonged public hunt.
