Virginia Man Arrested for 2021 Capitol Riot Pipe Bomb Incident

Fri Dec 05 2025 10:11:20 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A 30-year-old Virginia man, Brian Cole Jr., has been arrested in connection with two pipe bombs placed outside the Republican and Democratic national committee headquarters on the eve of the 2021 Capitol riot.

Brian Cole Jr., 30, was arrested on charges related to two pipe bombs discovered outside the headquarters of the Republican and Democratic national committees just before the Capitol riot in January 2021. The bombs were safely disarmed, and Cole's arrest ends a lengthy investigation that had previously yielded no suspects despite a significant reward. Authorities pieced together evidence tracing back to Cole's purchase of bomb-making components and mobile data linking him to the crime scene on the night of the incident.

A Virginia man has been arrested in connection with two pipe bombs placed outside the headquarters of the Republican and Democratic national committees on the eve of the 2021 Capitol riot.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi said Brian Cole Jr., 30, was arrested without incident early on Thursday morning. He is charged with use of an explosive device and attempted malicious destruction by means of explosive materials.

Officials did not specify a possible motive for the planting of the pipe bombs, which were safely deactivated without exploding.

It caps an exhaustive investigation in a case where an arrest had eluded law enforcement despite a $500,000 (£375,000) reward.

The FBI did not receive new information or a tip that cracked the case, officials said.

Both bombs were placed on the night of 5 January 2021 and were only discovered the following afternoon as supporters of Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol in the last days of his first presidency.

Kamala Harris, who was the US vice president-elect at the time, was evacuated from the Democratic National Committee headquarters shortly after the devices were found.

According to court documents, the suspect lives with his parents in Woodbridge, a suburb about 20 miles (32km) outside Washington.

He works for a bail bond company - such firms help people get out of jail by posting bail on their behalf in exchange for a non-refundable fee.

Investigators sifted through a mountain of evidence gathered over the years, including some three million lines of data.

Mr. Cole allegedly bought multiple bomb-making components in 2019 and 2020, according to the court filing.

His car - a 2017 Nissan Sentra with a Virginia licence plate - was also seen by a licence plate reader less than half a mile (0.8km) from the location where the individual who placed the devices was first observed in the area.

FBI officials praised the perseverance of agents and said they never gave up on finding a suspect. Earlier this year, the FBI released CCTV footage of an individual with a backpack and a light grey hooded sweater placing something near a bench outside the DNC building.

FBI Director Kash Patel stated that any attack on American citizens is an attack on the nation itself, promising the commitment to maintaining safety across America.