The FBI announced the arrest of a Virginia man Thursday morning in connection with pipe bombs planted outside the Republican and Democratic National Committee headquarters the night before the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
The arrest is a major breakthrough in one of the most high-profile unsolved cases from that period.
Brian Cole Jr., 30, of Woodbridge, Virginia, was arrested at his home and is facing federal charges for allegedly planting the explosives, according to multiple reports.
The pipe bombs were placed outside the RNC and DNC headquarters between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on January 5, 2021. The devices, made from pipes, kitchen timers, and homemade black powder, did not detonate but were deemed viable explosives capable of killing or injuring multiple people, the FBI stated.
Then-Vice President-elect Kamala Harris came within 20 feet of the bomb at the DNC headquarters the following morning, according to a Department of Homeland Security inspector general report.
Cole has been linked to statements supporting far-Left anarchist ideology, according to two people briefed on the arrest who spoke to MSNBC. Law enforcement officials told the network that police have not yet determined a motive.
The discoveries that led to Cole’s arrest did not come from new evidence, but rather from a “fresh review of old evidence” that had mostly been gathered in 2021 and 2022, and the suspect “could feasibly have been arrested years earlier.”
The nearly five-year investigation reviewed tens of thousands of video files, conducted more than 1,000 interviews, and examined hundreds of tips, according to the FBI.
Surveillance footage released by the FBI showed an unidentified person wearing a gray-hooded sweatshirt, a mask, and gloves placing the devices.
BREAKING: Arrested J6 pipe bomber suspect identified as Virginia man Brian Cole, sources told Fox News. https://t.co/KL3RGLgSzc pic.twitter.com/5MuGDOdpi0
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) December 4, 2025
The investigation gained renewed interest under the Trump administration.
Cole graduated from high school in Prince William County, Virginia, in 2013, according to the school district. Some reports indicated that Cole’s father operates a bail bond company in Virginia that was also searched by authorities Thursday.
Cole is expected to appear in federal court in Washington Thursday afternoon.