Brian Cole Jr., a 30-year-old from Woodbridge, Virginia, confessed to planting pipe bombs near the Republican and Democratic national committee headquarters on the eve of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. The FBI arrested him after a nearly five-year investigation involving cell phone data and purchase records. He faces charges related to transporting and using explosives.
The arrest of Brian Cole Jr. marks a breakthrough in a long-standing investigation into the pipe bombs placed outside the Republican National Committee (RNC) and Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters in Washington, D.C., on January 5, 2021. According to reports from the Associated Press and The New York Post, citing sources familiar with the matter, Cole confessed during interviews with investigators on Thursday afternoon, shortly after his arrest that morning.
Cole, who lives in Woodbridge, Virginia, has been charged with transporting explosives across state lines with intent to kill, injure, or cause damage, as well as attempted malicious destruction by means of explosive materials. He is scheduled for arraignment in a D.C. federal court on Friday afternoon. During the interviews, Cole expressed support for former President Donald Trump and claimed the 2020 election was stolen from him, though federal authorities have not disclosed a confirmed motive. Charging documents indicate he began purchasing bomb supplies in May 2019, predating the election controversy, while other records reviewed by law enforcement show purchases between 2018 and 2020.
The FBI's investigation, spanning nearly five years, relied on analysis of thousands of purchases, cell phone data, and license plate records. Cole's cell phone placed him near the RNC and DNC between 7:39 p.m. and 8:24 p.m. on January 5, 2021. Additionally, a license plate reader captured his 2017 Nissan Sentra with Virginia plates on I-395 South near the Capitol at 7:34 p.m. that evening, about half a mile from the bomb sites.
Cole's background includes working for his father's bail bonds company, which aided in freeing undocumented immigrants from ICE facilities and sued the Trump administration's Department of Homeland Security. Reports describe his political views as unclear, with some sources noting anarchist leanings alongside pro-Trump sentiments. The FBI declined to comment further on the ongoing probe.