Washington, D.C. – December 4, 2025 – In a long-awaited development that closes a chapter on one of the most enduring enigmas of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, federal authorities announced the arrest of 30-year-old Brian Cole Jr., a resident of Woodbridge, Virginia, accused of planting pipe bombs outside the Republican and Democratic National Committee headquarters the night before now-infamous “J6” events unfolded.
Cole, who lives with his parents and works at a local bail bondsman’s office, was taken into custody early Thursday morning at his family home in the suburban cul-de-sac. FBI agents in unmarked vehicles swarmed the scene, with some witnesses reporting personnel in hazmat suits examining the area. The arrest marks the first major break in a nearly five-year investigation that has spawned countless conspiracy theories and frustrated law enforcement.
The pipe bombs—described by the FBI as viable devices capable of causing serious injury or death—were placed around 7:34 p.m. on January 5, 2021, just blocks from the U.S. Capitol. Surveillance footage captured a hooded figure in a backpack and Nike sneakers depositing the explosives: one at the DNC on South Capitol Street SE and another at the RNC on First Street SE. The devices, equipped with kitchen timers, 9-volt batteries, wiring, steel wool, and galvanized pipes, were discovered the following afternoon amid the chaos of the riot, diverting critical security resources and potentially aiding the mob’s breach of the Capitol grounds.
BREAKING: The FBI has just STORMED the home of the J6 pipe bomb suspect, reportedly Brian Cole, described as an “anarchist”
Time for JUSTICE. pic.twitter.com/bqcsZ7uibG
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) December 4, 2025
According to a seven-page FBI affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, investigators pieced together Cole’s involvement through meticulous analysis of existing evidence, rather than any dramatic new tip. Key clues included credit card records tracing purchases of bomb components—such as six galvanized pipes, end caps, timers, and electrical wires—from stores across northern Virginia in 2019 and 2020. Cellphone tower data placed Cole’s device near the drop sites, while a license plate reader captured his 2017 Nissan Sentra driving past a camera less than half a mile from the locations that evening. The suspect’s estimated height of 5-foot-7 and distinctive Nike shoe model from the video also aligned with Cole’s profile.
“We do not forget. We do not give up. And we do not relent,” declared Darren Cox, head of the FBI’s Washington field office, during a joint press conference with Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel. Bondi emphasized that the breakthrough stemmed from “diligent police work” and a reinvigorated review of thousands of interviews and tens of thousands of video files collected in the probe’s early days. She charged Cole with transporting explosive materials across state lines, attempted destruction of buildings with explosives, and use of an explosive device—felonies carrying potential life sentences if convicted.
Notably absent from the announcements was any discussion of motive or connections to the broader January 6 events. Officials confirmed the bombs targeted both major parties equally, fueling speculation about whether the act was meant to sow chaos or serve as a diversion. Cole, a 2013 graduate of Prince William County schools, has not yet entered a plea and is reportedly cooperating with agents, though his family declined comment. His step-grandfather briefly acknowledged speaking with the FBI but offered no further details.
The case’s resolution comes amid renewed scrutiny of January 6 under the Trump administration, which has issued mass pardons to over 1,500 riot participants—including some who assaulted officers—while aggressively pursuing this explosives probe. Critics have questioned the apparent inconsistency, but White House officials dismissed comparisons as “alarming and insulting,” insisting the pipe bomb plot endangered lives independently of the riot.
As Cole awaits arraignment, the arrest provides a measure of closure to a saga that has haunted investigators and the public alike. “America’s safer, D.C.’s safer because he’s in custody,” Bondi said. Yet with questions about inspiration and intent lingering, the full story of January 5, 2021, may still unfold in court.
SOURCES:
Suspect arrested in Jan. 6 pipe bomb case – POLITICO
Suspect Arrested in Inquiry Into Pipe Bombs in D.C. Ahead of Jan. 6 Riot – The New York Times
D.C. pipe bomb suspect arrested by FBI in unsolved case tied to Jan. 6 – The Washington Post
Suspect arrested in January 5 DC pipe bomb case
Man arrested over pipe bombs before Jan. 6 Capitol attack | AP News
FBI arrests Brian Cole Jr. in Jan. 6 DC pipe bomber investigation | CNN Politics
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