AG Bondi Confirms Arrest of D.C. Pipe Bomb Suspect

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Thursday that agents had arrested a Virginia man in connection with the placement of two pipe bombs outside the Democratic and Republican national committee offices in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 5, 2021.

The suspect, Brian Cole Jr., lived in Woodbridge, Virginia.

"He's been charged with violating 18 U.S. C84, which is use of an explosive device," Bondi said during an afternoon press conference. "This investigation is ongoing; as we speak, search warrants are being executed, and there could be more charges to come."

Bondi added that the "cold case languished for four years" until FBI Director Kash Patel and his team took over after President Donald Trump took office in January.

"We did not discover new information," Patel said. "What we did, an investigation spearheaded by the deputy director and the Washington field office, [was] brought in investigators and experts, reexamined every piece of evidence, sifted through all the data — something that the prior administration refused and failed to do.

"As a result of that, we generated numerous investigative leads, executed multiple legal processes with our U.S. attorney partners, and came to this conclusion today, and that is why we're able to safely secure this individual into custody."

Calls to relatives of Cole listed in public records were not immediately returned on Thursday, The Associated Press reported.

Hours after Cole was taken into custody, unmarked law enforcement vehicles lined the Virginia cul-de-sac of his home while FBI agents helped shoo away onlookers. Authorities were seen entering the house and examining the trunk of a car nearby.

The pipe bombs were placed on the night before the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol protest.

Nobody was hurt before the bombs were rendered safe, but the FBI has said both devices could have been lethal.

In the years since, investigators have sought the public's help in identifying a shadowy subject seen on surveillance cameras even as they struggled to determine answers to basic questions, including the person's gender and motive and whether the act had a clear connection to the events at the Capitol a day later.

Seeking a breakthrough, the FBI last January publicized additional information about the investigation, including an estimate that the suspect was about 5 feet, 7 inches tall, as well as previously unreleased video of the suspect placing one of the bombs.

The bureau had for years struggled to pinpoint a suspect despite hundreds of tips, a review of tens of thousands of video files, and a significant number of interviews.

Public attention over the years had centered in part on surveillance video showing the suspect spending close to an hour moving through the surrounding blocks, pausing on a park bench, cutting through an alley, and stopping again as a dog walker passed.

The person wore a light sweatshirt, dark pants and sneakers, with a dark backpack slung over one shoulder. Investigators have long said the gait suggested the person was a man, but a surgical mask and hood rendered the face all but impossible to see.

Agents paired their video review with a broad sweep of digital records. They gathered cell tower data showing which phones were active in the neighborhood at the time and issued subpoenas to several tech companies, including Google, for location information.

Investigators also analyzed credit card transactions from hobby shops and major retailers to identify customers who had purchased components resembling those used in the two explosive devices — each roughly 1 foot (0.3 meters) long and packed with gunpowder and metal, according to two law enforcement officials familiar with the investigation.

Another avenue of the investigation centered on the suspect's shoes, believed to be Nike Air Max Speed Turfs.

After learning from Nike that thousands of pairs had been distributed through more than two dozen retailers, agents filed subpoenas for credit card records from Foot Locker and other chains as they worked to narrow down potential buyers.

Still, for years, they had no solid breakthroughs.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.