Nearly Five Years Later, FBI Makes Arrest In DC Pipe Bomb Case
The FBI announced the arrest of Brian J. Cole Jr. in connection to the nearly five-year-old pipe bomb case in Washington, D.C. On January 5, 2021, Cole allegedly planted two live pipe bombs near the headquarters of the Republican National Committee (RNC) and the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Surveillance footage showed cole wearing distinctive clothing while placing the devices, which were found and defused the following day.
Authorities charged Cole, a 30-year-old resident of Woodbridge, Virginia, with transporting explosive devices with intent to kill, injure, intimidate, or damage property. The inquiry traced purchases of bomb components-including pipes, endcaps, steel wool, and kitchen timers-to materials bought by Cole at local stores. Additionally, cell phone data and license plate readers placed him near the bomb sites.
The case involved extensive data analysis, with the FBI reviewing millions of data points to identify the suspect. U.S. Attorney Jeanine pirro highlighted the complexity, comparing the process to “finding a needle in a haystack.” The investigation was prolonged, prompting a Congressional subcommittee to question the FBI’s pace, with some officials suggesting delays under the Biden administration, while crediting the prior administration for significant investigative efforts.
Cole reportedly continued purchasing bomb-making materials after placing the devices. The arrest brings resolution to a high-profile case that had remained unsolved for years amid intense scrutiny.
The FBI made an arrest early Thursday morning in the five-year-old Washington, D.C., pipe bomb case. Authorities arrested Brian J. Cole Jr. and accused him of planting two live bombs on Jan. 5, 2021 — one near in the vicinity of the headquarters of the Republican National Committee (RNC) and the other near the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
According to the criminal complaint, video surveillance captured an individual, now alleged to be Cole, wearing a hoodie and distinctive shoes while placing bombs at the RNC and DNC headquarters. The bombs were discovered Jan. 6, 2021, before they exploded.
The Department of Justice is charging Cole, 30, with transportation of an explosive device with intent to kill, injure, or intimidate an individual, or to damage property and malicious destruction by means of fire and explosive materials.
Cole, a resident of Woodbridge, Virginia, lives in a house “with his mother and other family members,” according to the complaint. He works at a bail bond business.
He allegedly bought materials for the bombs, including pipes, endcaps, and steel wool, at Home Depot, along with a kitchen timer at Walmart. Investigators tracked down every bomb component he purchased, according to the complaint.
They also allegedly traced his cell phone to the bomb placement areas and tracked his 2017 Nissan Sentra through a license plate reader in Washington that placed his car in the area.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said the case “involved millions of pieces of data,” adding that solving “it was like finding a needle in a haystack.”
“So much of this evidence was very specific, but a lot of it was also very general. For example, there were 233,000 black end caps of the type that were used in this case,” Pirro said Thursday in a press conference.
“I want you to think about the fact that the FBI had to go through the sale of every one of them to try to find commonality with an individual, along with the purchase of the pipe itself, the cap ends, the wires, the steel [wool], and the nine-volt batteries. Every one of those had to be mined and re-mined to the point where we were able to then connect. And make no mistake, it was this administration, it was this president, who made the decision that we were going to use all of our efforts to get it done, and get it done, they did.”
After he allegedly placed the bombs, Cole bought more bomb-making materials, according to the complaint.
The FBI had been investigating the case for so long that the House Subcommittee on Oversight investigated why it was taking so long to get answers, releasing the results of its investigation in January 2025. The committee asked the FBI to provide documents and an explanation for why it was not making progress.
Now it seems President Joe Biden’s FBI was slow-rolling the operation.
“What I will tell you is that evidence has been sitting there collecting dust. This wasn’t a new tip. It wasn’t some new evidence. It was the hard work of President Trump’s administration, Deputy Director [Dan] Bongino, and Director [Kash] Patel,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said Thursday.
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