The Justice Department on Thursday announced long-awaited charges against a Virginia man accused of planting pipe bombs outside the Democratic and Republican National Committee headquarters the night before the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot—closing a years-long search that drew intense public scrutiny.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said authorities have arrested Brian Cole, 30, of Woodbridge, Virginia, in connection with the devices.
“Four years, 10 months and 28 days ago, an individual placed a bomb in the vicinity of both the RNC and the DNC, and for that amount of time, that individual evaded accountability,” Pirro said at a press conference. “Today… we are finally able to make an arrest… Brian Cole.”
Cole faces two federal charges: transporting an explosive device in interstate commerce and attempted malicious destruction by means of explosive materials. He was charged Wednesday, and a magistrate judge ordered the criminal complaint unsealed Thursday.
A high-profile case, and a political flashpoint
The pipe-bomb suspect was one of the most persistent unanswered questions surrounding the broader Jan. 6 period. The FBI faced years of criticism for failing to identify the masked individual captured on surveillance video outside both party headquarters.
Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino called the arrest a major victory for investigators and pushed back on the idea that the suspect would escape accountability.
“You’re not going to walk into our capital city, put down two explosive devices and walk off in the sunset,” Bongino said. “We were going to track this person to the end of the earth… He wound up in Woodbridge, Virginia.”
Trump administration officials used the moment to argue the case languished under the Biden administration, crediting new leadership for making it a priority. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel both emphasized that the breakthrough did not come from a fresh tip.
“Let me be clear, there was no new tip, there was no new witness—just good, diligent police work and prosecutorial work,” Bondi said, adding investigators had spent months reworking evidence they said had been sitting unused for years.
Patel said agents “dove into more than 3 million lines of data” and re-examined physical and digital evidence that he claimed the prior administration “refused and failed” to fully exploit.
What investigators say ties Cole to the pipe bombs
For years, investigators had only broad descriptors: the suspect was estimated around 5’7″, wore a hoodie and face covering, and appeared to be wearing Nike Air Max shoes—details that proved insufficient to identify him.
According to the charging documents, Cole is 5’6″ and allegedly purchased multiple items consistent with components used to build the pipe bombs between 2019 and 2020.
Pirro said investigators focused on “aha” forensic moments that helped narrow the pool—particularly purchase records for specific parts. She highlighted that there were roughly 233,000 end caps sold like those used in the devices, which meant investigators had to sift through vast amounts of retail data to find meaningful overlap.
The complaint alleges Cole purchased 12 black end caps and two galvanized end caps from four different Home Depot locations in Northern Virginia between October 2019 and November 2020, along with other items that could be used in bomb construction.
Investigators also point to location data: Cole’s cell phone allegedly connected to towers near the RNC and DNC on Jan. 5, and his vehicle was observed driving past the South Capitol Street exit—less than half a mile from where the suspect was later seen walking shortly after.
The devices, and the danger
The pipe bombs did not detonate and were eventually disabled, but authorities say they sat outside the headquarters for more than 15 hours before police were dispatched. Their discovery triggered an emergency response on a morning when many law enforcement resources were focused elsewhere.
The situation also forced the evacuation of then–Vice President Kamala Harris from the DNC area.
“Fortunately, these bombs did not explode, although they certainly could have,” said Darren Cox, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “But make no mistake, the alleged pipe bomber did terrorize our community.”
Officials declined to discuss any motive, and the filings do not state whether the alleged intent was to divert law enforcement resources or otherwise aid the events that unfolded at the Capitol.
