Here's How Brian Cole Jr. Has Been Charged — First Suspect in the Jan. 6 Pipe Bomb Investigation

Because of all the chaos, it wasn't until the afternoon of the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol that police found two homemade pipe bombs outside the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee headquarters. The investigation into the pipe bombs has been going on for years, but police finally have a suspect, according to CBS News.

On the morning of Dec. 4, 2025, officials arrested Brian Cole Jr., a 30-year-old Northern Virginia man, based on evidence the FBI already had.

According to Wired, he is specifically charged with "transporting an explosive device across state lines with the intent to kill, injure, intimidate, or destroy property" as well as "malicious destruction or attempted malicious destruction by means of fire and explosive materials."

However, he may face more charges in the future, since the investigation is ongoing.

"Today's arrest happened because the Trump administration has made this case a priority," Pam Bondi said. She continued, "The total lack of movement on this case in our nation's capital undermined the public trust of our enforcement agencies."

Police suspected Brian Cole Jr. after going through evidence that the FBI already had in their possession. "There was no new tip. There was no new witness, just good, diligent police work and prosecutorial work," Pam Bondi said. "That evidence has been sitting there collecting dust," she added, per USA Today.

Officials found Cole from existing cell phone data and purchasing records, according to USA Today. His cell phone provider's records show that his phone connected with towers that appear to place him near the RNC and DNC offices on Jan. 5, 2021. A license plate registered to a car that he owns was also captured on camera the same day at 7:10 p.m., "less than one-half mile from the location where the individual who placed the devices was first observed on foot."

Cole bought the same model of galvanized pipe, end caps, and nine-volt connectors in 2019 and 2020, according to an affidavit obtained by Wired. He allegedly continued buying bomb-making components after the Capitol riots. On Jan. 21, he bought a kitchen timer and two nine-volt batteries, and then bought galvanized pipes the next day.

Cole does not have a criminal history otherwise, but does have traffic violations, which took place after the Jan. 6 riots.

The bombs Cole allegedly placed at the Capitol were made up of "1x8-inch pipes, kitchen timers, and homemade black powder," per CBS News. They didn't go off, but they could have killed or injured people.

FBI Director Kash Patel said, "When you develop evidence, you get a search warrant, and when you get a search warrant, you get an address, and when you get an address, you hit the house, and that's what we did."

They have not yet revealed what they found there, if anything.