Image Attribution: By Feoffer – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=136539780
They described the arrest as a major breakthrough in a case that has remained unsolved for almost five years.
The suspect, identified as 30-year-old Brian Cole Jr. of Woodbridge, Virginia, was taken into custody by the FBI earlier in the week. Cole is accused of assembling the devices and placing them outside the RNC and DNC buildings on January 5, 2021. The charges include transporting explosive devices in interstate commerce and attempted destruction with explosive material.
Officials said Cole worked for a bail bondsman and had purchased pipes, endcaps, wiring, batteries, and kitchen timers at stores such as Walmart and Home Depot between 2019 and 2020. Investigators said these materials matched the components found in the devices.
An affidavit filed in federal court says cellphone records placed him near the locations where the bombs were planted. Surveillance footage also showed a Nissan Sentra registered to Cole driving in the area that evening.
Attorney General Pam Bondi credited the Trump Justice Department with pushing the case forward. She said the arrest was the result of renewed investigative resources rather than any new tips. Bondi noted that officials had to rebuild the stalled investigation and sift through existing evidence that had not been fully analyzed.
FBI Director Kash Patel said teams reviewed more than 3 million lines of information. They also examined approximately 233,000 sales records for the type of black endcaps used in the bombs. Patel said agents eventually matched those records to other materials purchased by Cole.
Investigators said they found no new witness and no new informant. They credited sustained analysis by a fresh group of agents and specialists. Search warrants are now being carried out at properties associated with the suspect, and officials said the investigation remains active. Additional charges may follow.
Cole reportedly lives with his mother and relatives. He does not yet have an attorney listed on court records. Messages to email addresses connected to him have not been returned.
The bombs were never detonated. They were discovered the following day as Congress met to certify the results of the 2020 election. A bomb squad detonated the device found at the RNC. The FBI has said the bombs could have exploded, although a former bureau official told Congress in 2023 that the timers used in the devices would not have allowed detonation.
The FBI spent years releasing surveillance images and videos of the masked individual who planted the bombs. The footage showed a figure wearing a gray hoodie, black pants, gloves, and Nike Air Max Speed Turf shoes with a gold logo. The bureau also raised the reward for information to 500,000 dollars earlier this year.
Members of Congress welcomed the news of the arrest.
Rep. Barry Loudermilk of Georgia said the breakthrough brings long-awaited progress to one of the most lingering questions surrounding January 6. He said his investigative subcommittee has worked closely with the FBI to review evidence and informant material.
NBC News and Fox News both reported that Cole’s arrest in Virginia came after months of renewed resource allocation by the Trump-appointed leadership at the FBI and Justice Department.
Patel said on social media that when he and Deputy Director Dan Bongino took over earlier this year, they ordered the case to be rebuilt from scratch.
The Department of Justice plans to hold additional briefings as the investigation continues.