Who is Brian Cole? Man accused of planting bombs in Washington on the night before January 6 caught after five years

Federal investigators made a major breakthrough in the long-running hunt for the person who planted pipe bombs in Washington the night before the January 6, 2021 riot.

Fox News identified the man arrested on Thursday as Brian Cole, who was reportedly living in Virginia at the time of his detention.

The FBI has not yet publicly confirmed the arrest, and the Associated Press said its source spoke “on condition of anonymity” because details of the case have not been released. No charges have been announced, and officials have not disclosed further information about Cole.


On Thursday morning, SKYFOX filmed a large police presence outside a home in Woodbridge, Virginia.


Also read: Homemade black powder, kitchen timer for detonation: All about pipe bombs planted in Washington by Brian Cole hours before January 6 riots

5 year long case comes to an end

Cole's case frustrated investigators for nearly five years. The pipe bombs were planted outside the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee headquarters on 5 January 2021. The bombs did not explode, but the FBI said they were viable and could have caused serious harm. The devices were found on the afternoon of January 6, as police were already overwhelmed by the breach of the US Capitol.

Since 2021, the FBI has reviewed tens of thousands of video files, conducted numerous interviews and appealed to the public for help identifying the suspect seen in surveillance footage wearing a hoodie. Last year, the bureau released new information suggesting the suspect was around five foot seven and published previously unseen video clips.

Also read: Nike shoes, hoodie, and a black bag: Inside the 5-year manhunt for Jan. 6 bomb suspect Brian Cole

In 2023, FBI had raised the reward for providing information that led to an arrest from $100,000 to $500,000, according to NBC.

The lack of progress over the years fuelled conspiracy theories from some Republican lawmakers, while others criticised security officials for failing to detect the bombs for 17 hours. Democrats, meanwhile, have continued to blame Trump for the disaster.