Name: FBI arrests suspect in 2021 D.C. pipe bomb case
Uploaded: 2025-12-05T02:35:57.806Z
Duration: 2 min 10 s
Description: A northern Virginia man was arrested and accused of placing two pipe bombs outside the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee headquarters on the eve of the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Scott MacFarlane has details.

A northern Virginia man was arrested and accused of placing two pipe bombs outside the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee headquarters on the eve of the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Scott MacFarlane has details.

Washington

The FBI has arrested 30-year-old Brian Cole in Woodbridge, Virginia, in connection with the placement of pipe bombs outside the Republican and Democratic party headquarters in Washington, D.C. on January 5, 2021. Authorities allege Cole was identified through surveillance footage and forensic evidence, including cell phone data and purchase records of bomb components.

Despite a substantial reward and years of tips, officials stated there was no recent breakthrough, but rather a closer examination of existing evidence led to the arrest. Cole faces two federal charges related to unlawful explosives, and prosecutors have not disclosed his motive or any links to the January 6 Capitol attack.

FBI arrests suspect in 2021 D.C. pipe bomb case

Largely overshadowed by the January 6th attack on the Capitol is what happened nearby the night before. Someone placed pipe bombs outside the headquarters of the Republican and Democratic parties. Tonight, nearly five years later, a suspect is in custody. But what the motive might have been remains a mystery and the subject of speculation. Here is justice correspondent Scott McFarlane. FBI agents and police filled the cul-de-sac in Woodbridge, Virginia, 45 minutes south of Washington, D.C. today. Making an arrest they've been pursuing for nearly five years. 30-year-old Brian Cole. They say Cole's the man seen in surveillance video who placed potentially deadly pipe bombs near the Capitol on January 5th, 2021, the night before the historic January 6th attack by Trump supporters on the Capitol. The alleged pipe bomber did terrorize our community. Today's actions underscore the long memory and the long reach of the FBI and our partners. An FBI affidavit alleges purchase records show Cole bought components of the bombs, batteries, steel wool, and a kitchen-style timer in 2019 and 2020. And Department of Justice court filings say forensic evidence shows Cole's cell phone was in the Capitol Hill area at the time the bombs were placed and that he was in the same neighborhood, 24 miles from home, just weeks earlier. Despite a half-million-dollar reward and years of soliciting tips, the Department of Justice said there was no new break in the case. Just a break by a closer look at old evidence. Let me be clear. There was no new tip. There was no new witness. Just good, diligent police work. In 2021, law enforcement officials said the bombs were discovered at about 12.45 p.m. January 6th, which diverted and distracted officers just as the riotous mob was attacking the Capitol, giving the Trump supporters a wider opening to enter the grounds. Cole faces two federal criminal charges for unlawful explosives, and prosecutors wouldn't answer questions about what his motive was, or if any of this had any connection to the January 6th Capitol siege. Justice correspondent Scott McFarland, thank you.

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