Brian Cole Jr., 30, of Woodbridge, Virginia, has been detained by federal police on suspicion of setting up pipe bombs outside the Washington headquarters of both major political parties the evening before the Capitol incident on January 6. In a case that has been unresolved for almost five years, the arrest represents the first significant development.
Cole was connected to the scene, according to investigators, via a combination of cellphone location data, license plate reader hits that put his car close to the bomb sites, and purchase records demonstrating that he purchased parts for the devices. Law police claims that the devices, which were found close to the Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee offices, were operational.
Cole lived in Virginia with relatives and worked at a bail-bonds business. He had no serious criminal history before this arrest, despite minor driving infractions. The devices were manufactured using widely accessible materials, according to officials, and the planning seemed intentional and systematic.
Prosecutors said more charges could be brought as the investigation progresses, but he is now facing federal accusations for transporting and planting explosive devices. The arrest, according to authorities, was the outcome of years of intensive investigation that included hundreds of witness interviews, a review of voluminous surveillance footage, and an examination of digital evidence.
After years of speculating and stopped leads, the breakthrough finally gives answers to one of the most enduring riddles connected to the events of January 6.