FBI arrests suspect in 2021 D.C. pipe bomb case, identified as Virginia man

Northern Virginia Man Arrested in Connection with 2021 D.C. Pipe Bomb Case

A 30-year-old man from Woodbridge, Virginia, has been arrested and charged with placing two pipe bombs outside the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee headquarters on January 5, 2021, just before a violent mob stormed the Capitol building.

According to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Brian Cole Jr. was taken into custody early Thursday morning, marking the first arrest in nearly five years of investigation into the pipe bomb case. The FBI has been working on this case since January 6, 2021, when the bombs were discovered and potentially viable devices were found outside the DNC and RNC headquarters.

Cole, who lives with his mother and other family members in Woodbridge, works at a bail bondsman's office. He graduated from high school in Prince William County, Virginia, in 2013. Investigators executed search warrants in the afternoon, but no new information about Cole's motive was provided by Bondi during a news conference.

The suspect allegedly purchased components used to make pipe bombs in 2019 and 2020, according to an FBI affidavit. Cellphone records show that Cole's phone was located near the DNC and RNC headquarters on January 5, 2021, when the person who planted the bombs was seen on surveillance footage.

Cole's car was spotted by a license plate reader less than half a mile from where the person was seen on the footage. The FBI has called the devices "viable" and warned that they could have killed or injured people.

The arrest is a significant development in a case that had remained unsolved for nearly five years, despite an ongoing investigation involving over 1,500 people who were charged with participating in the January 6 insurrection. The pipe bomb case was one of several unsolved cases that drew additional resources and attention from the FBI.

"This case has been a priority for the Trump administration," Bondi said. "The lack of movement on this case undermined the public trust of our enforcement agencies."

this is huge so the guy who made those pipe bombs was just a regular joe, works at a bail bondsman's office and lives with his mom it's crazy how he managed to fly under the radar for almost five years. and the fact that investigators finally found him after tracing his phone records and car license plate is just mind-blowing i mean, what's even more concerning is that the guy allegedly bought components for pipe bombs in 2019 and 2020, which is like, a clear warning sign but who knows what went through his head at that time? was it just a random act of violence or something more sinister? i guess we'll have to wait for more info to piece together the motive behind this arrest

Yaaassss, FINALLY!!! Someone's getting justice for those pipe bombs ! I'm so glad the FBI was able to catch up with Brian Cole Jr. - it's been ages since that January 6th insurrection and this arrest is a big step forward! The fact that he bought pipe bomb components in 2019 and 2020 is just insane, what's going on with people these days?! I hope he faces the consequences for his actions, no one should ever put innocent lives at risk like that.

OMG, THIS GUY COULDVE KILLED PEOPLE WITH THOSE BOMBS!!! i mean, can you even imagine if someone had walked into the capitol building that day with a pipe bomb? it wouldve been total chaos! the fact that he bought parts for the bombs in 2019 and 2020 is super suspicious. how did no one catch on sooner?! anyway, glad the FBI was able to crack the case after all this time... still sad about what happened on january 6th

So like, another guy gets caught up in all that crazy stuff back in 2021 ... Brian Cole Jr is his name and pipe bombs are what he's accused of setting outside those party HQs. You'd think it's a bit weird they went for that route when you've got this whole other thing going on with the January 6 insurrection, but I guess sometimes our brains just need something to process, right? Anyway, Cole allegedly bought pipe bomb parts like 2 years ago and had his phone near the scene the day of the bombing. Not sure what's gonna happen to him now that he's been caught... maybe some therapy or a reality check

Ugh, I'm still fumin' about this ! Can't believe it's taken so long to catch someone and now they're finally gettin' what's comin' to 'em... sorta. I mean, 30 years old and he thinks he can just go around plantin' pipe bombs like it's no big deal? Mind boggled ! And the fact that he's got some kinda "bail bondsman" job, just livin' off his family's money... so not cool.

And what really gets me is, all these other people involved in the insurrection, and they get charged, but this guy, the actual perpetrator, takes 5 years to catch? It's like, where were we all sittin'? I know the FBI's been workin' on it, but still... it's just so frustrating . And don't even get me started on Pam Bondi sayin' this guy's case was a "priority"... yeah right, because 5 years is just a priority? Anyway, glad we got the info finally, but this whole thing still feels kinda unsatisfying .

"Believe you can and you're halfway there."

this is crazy lol... a guy's arrested after 5 years and still no motive what was he thinking? buying pipe bomb parts like it's no big deal in 2019 and his phone records show him near the DNC and RNC on Jan 5th? that's some sketchy stuff, fam but seriously, this is a huge break in the case. hopefully he talks and tells us what really went down

just hope this arrest brings some closure to the families of those affected by the pipe bombs , its crazy that it took 5 years to catch someone in connection with this heinous crime . feels like a huge weight has been lifted off the shoulders of everyone involved , lets just focus on getting justice served now , hope the investigation into the January 6 insurrection leads to more answers too .

omg can u believe this guy was able to get away w/this for so long?! i mean, 2019 and 2020 he's buying pipe bomb components like they're going out of style... meanwhile, thousands of ppl are getting charged for the jan 6 insurrection and still no one gets caught? it just doesnt add up

and now they've got him, but its almost 5 yrs too late i feel bad for the ppl who lost loved ones or got hurt that day hope he gets a fair trial tho

finally some justice after 5 years! I'm so glad they were able to catch someone who tried to disrupt our democracy. it's crazy that someone would try to harm innocent people just because they disagreed with the system. the FBI has done an amazing job keeping us safe, even when cases are hard to crack. I hope this arrest brings some closure to the families of those who were hurt by the insurrection. it's a reminder that we have laws and institutions in place to protect us from people like Brian Cole Jr.

I'm so relieved to hear that Brian Cole Jr. is finally behind bars ! It's crazy that it took almost five years to catch him, I mean, what a huge weight off the nation's shoulders . The fact that he was able to purchase pipe bomb components in 2019 and 2020 just shows how brazen and planned out this attack must have been . Can't even begin to imagine how scared people must've been on January 5, 2021, not knowing what was going to happen . And now that Cole is in custody, I hope he gets the justice he deserves, and that his family's lives can finally start moving forward again . It's always a good day when justice is served !

OMG, this is getting crazy ! Like, I knew something was up with that pipe bomb case, but to think that it's taken 5 whole years to catch the guy who did it? That's just wild . And what's really got me thinking is why the Trump admin is suddenly invested in this case now. Wasn't they more focused on covering their own tracks during that insurrection? I mean, come on, Attorney General Bondi is saying that the lack of progress on this case undermined public trust... sounds like she's trying to deflect from something . And what about all those people who were charged with participating in the January 6 insurrection? Were they just, like, part of a bigger operation? This whole thing is giving me major conspiracy vibes

omg, like can you even believe this guy managed to get caught after all these years?! I mean, it's not like he was some mastermind genius or anything... more like a lazy dude who just decided to do something and got lucky that nobody was hurt by the bombs . and 2019-2020, like what were you doing with pipe bomb parts during that time, bruce?! was it just for fun or did you actually think you'd get away with it?

and can we talk about how ridiculous it is that this guy's phone records show him being near the DNC and RNC headquarters on the day of the incident... like, what are the chances, right?! it's almost like he wanted to leave a trail for us to follow .

anywayz, glad justice was served and the public can finally get some closure on this whole thing .

can't believe it's taken this long to catch someone who clearly thought they could just go wild like that in D.C. the fact that they bought pipe bomb components in 2019 and 2020 is just red flag after red flag... and now we find out his phone was near the DNC/RNC HQ on Jan 5th? that's some suspicious timing if you ask me... not sure what kind of motive would make someone do this, but I'm glad justice is finally being served. hopefully they get a good amount of time for this guy.

I'm not surprised at all that someone got caught, I mean, you can't just leave explosives outside the RNC and DNC headquarters w/o getting caught... . But seriously, a 30-yr-old guy from Woodbridge who works in bail bonds? That's some weird stuff right there. What was he thinking? Did he really think he could get away with something like that? I'm just saying, the fact that it took almost 5 yrs to catch him says more about the investigation than his actual intentions... . And now they're saying it was a priority for the Trump admin? Yeah right, let's not forget who funded the insurrection in the first place...

just watched the news about this guy who got arrested for planting those pipe bombs outside the DNC and RNC back in 2021 . five years to figure out it was him, that's crazy. you'd think something like that would be a priority from the start. anyway, glad they were able to catch him now. hope justice is served

omg, 30-yr-old Brian Cole Jr think he's some kinda hero by planting pipe bombs outside DC HQs? like, what was he even thinking?? and poor ppl who live nearby gotta deal with all the drama and tension now . FBI finally caught a break tho, almost 5 yrs in the making - crazy! gotta wonder if this arrest will lead to more info about the insurrection ... but I guess it's a good start .

I'm so glad they finally caught someone involved in that crazy pipe bomb thingy ... five years is way too long to be wondering what happened, you know? It's like, how can one guy cause that much stress and fear for innocent people? I mean, I get it, the Capitol building situation was super messed up, but come on! This guy just worked at a bail bondsman's office, lived with his mom... who knew he had pipe bomb components in his life? And what's up with him being near the DNC and RNC headquarters that day? It's like fate or something. Anyway, it's good they're finally closing this case and giving some closure to the people affected by it .

just heard about this arrest ... feels like such an important milestone in the investigation, but still so many questions about what motivated cole to do that... like, why would someone with a seemingly normal life and no history of extremism feel compelled to leave those bombs outside 2 major party HQs? doesn't seem like the actions of someone driven by ideology or a desire for attention. was it all just a twisted prank gone wrong? or is there more to this story than we know?