Washington, D.C. — Federal authorities on Thursday arrested Brian J. Cole, Jr., 30, of Woodbridge, Virginia, charging him with transporting and planting two improvised explosive devices outside the Republican National Committee (RNC) and Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters on January 5, 2021.
According to a criminal complaint unsealed today, Cole is charged with transporting an explosive device in interstate commerce with intent to kill, injure, intimidate, or damage property, along with attempted malicious destruction by means of fire and explosives.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced the arrest alongside Attorney General Pamela Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, FBI Washington Field Office Assistant Director Darren B. Cox, and Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela A. Smith.
Pirro said the case reflects years of investigative work.
“When bad actors intervene to disrupt and threaten that peace… we will track them down and hold them to account,” she said, crediting FBI investigators who “worked around the clock to methodically piece together the clues.”
Attorney General Bondi said the breakthrough came after renewed investigative efforts in the past year.
“Today’s arrest was the result of good, diligent police work and collaboration on a case that languished for four years under the prior administration,” Bondi said.
FBI Director Patel said identifying a suspect in the nearly five-year-old case required re-examining extensive evidence.
“Our FBI teams have gone back over every fact and every data point looking for new leads,” Patel said. “Today’s arrest is the result of that outstanding work.”
Deputy Director Bongino called the development “historic,” noting the potential harm the devices could have caused.
“The pipe bombs could have caused devastating loss of life and injuries,” he said.
Assistant Director Cox emphasized the persistence of investigators:
“The FBI and our partners do not forget. We do not give up. We do not relent.”
Case Details
The complaint alleges that Cole purchased components consistent with those used in the two IEDs during 2019 and 2020 from retailers in northern Virginia.
Authorities recovered the devices on January 6, 2021, after reports of suspected explosives near the RNC and DNC. The U.S. Capitol Police Hazardous Devices Section neutralized both devices, and an FBI assessment confirmed they contained an explosive main charge, fuzing system, and container.
Video surveillance showed the same individual placing both devices the evening before, on January 5. The suspect wore dark clothing, Nike Air Max Speed Turf shoes, gloves, a grey hooded sweatshirt, and a face covering.
Cole’s car was observed on January 5 near the location where the suspect was first seen on foot, according to license plate data. Cell-site records further placed his phone in the area of both party headquarters between 7:39 p.m. and 8:24 p.m., matching the path investigators associated with the suspect.
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