The FBI arrested last Thursday a suspect for allegedly placing homemade bombs at the offices of the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee in Washington, on January 5, 2021. Brian Cole Jr., of Woodbridge, Virginia, was arrested and charged with allegedly placing the explosive devices at both locations, announced Attorney General Pamela Bondi on December 4 during a press conference at the Department of Justice headquarters in the capital city.
«Although almost five years have passed, this shows that the FBI will never rest in its pursuit of bringing justice to those who endanger American lives and our communities», stated FBI Director Kash Patel.
The arrest took place that same day in northern Virginia. The FBI Director, Kash Patel, the FBI Deputy Director, Dan Bongino, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Ferris Pirro, and the Deputy Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office (ADIC), Darren Cox, joined Attorney General Bondi and our law enforcement partners to make the announcement.
Bondi lauded the progress of the case as a result of interagency collaboration. The investigation continues, she added, with search warrants pending.
«All of us worked shoulder to shoulder to resolve this investigation», stated the ADIC Cox. «This has been a long week in Washington, D.C. After last week’s terrorist attack, the courage and determination of the FBI and our allies in law enforcement are an example to the American public of what cooperation, collaboration, and selfless service can accomplish», he added.
Before the arrest, the FBI offered a reward of up to $500,000 for information that would help identify the suspect and published video images of the individual to further assist in identification.
However, Director Patel attributed the suspect’s arrest to the crucial measures that the FBI’s current leadership has taken, including the addition of a new team of investigators and experts, the re-examination of every piece of evidence, and the exhaustive analysis of a large amount of data. Specifically, Cox stated that investigators analyzed more than three million lines of data to identify the alleged author of the bombing.
«As a result of that, we generated numerous investigative leads, pursued multiple legal processes with our U.S. attorneys’ partners, and arrived at this conclusion today», said Patel, who thanked the Department of Justice and interagency partners for their collaboration in the investigation and acknowledged Deputy Director Bongino and Cox for leading the investigation.
«We do not forget, we do not give up, and we do not relent», said Cox. «Although almost five years had passed, our team continued to analyze enormous amounts of data and leads that we used to identify this suspect», he concluded and added that the FBI «was going to track this person to the ends of the earth. There was no way he could escape».
Brian J. Cole, 30, of Woodbridge, Virginia, is charged with transporting an explosive device in interstate commerce with the intent to kill, injure, or intimidate any person, or to unlawfully damage or destroy any building, vehicle, or other real or personal property. He is also charged with attempted malicious destruction by fire and explosive materials.
According to the complaint, during 2019 and 2020, Cole purchased multiple components consistent with those used to manufacture the two IEDs at various retailers in northern Virginia. At about 1:00 p.m. on January 6, 2021, several law enforcement agencies received reports of a suspected explosive device near the Republican Party headquarters in Washington. At 1:15 p.m. the same day, a second suspected IED was reported a few blocks away, near the Democratic Party headquarters.
THE FBI DETERMINED THE EXPLOSIVE CHARGE
The U.S. Capitol Police’s Dangerous Devices Section neutralized both devices. Subsequently, the FBI determined that both contained a primary explosive charge, a detonation system, and a container.
Surveillance footage determined that the same individual placed the devices on the night of January 5, 2021. The suspect wore dark pants, a gray hooded sweatshirt, dark gloves, Nike Air Max Speed Turf sneakers, and a mask concealing his face. The video shows the individual adjusting his glasses and loading a backpack.
On January 5, 2021, around 7:10 p.m., Cole’s Nissan Sentra was observed passing a license plate reader at the South Capitol Street exit of I-395 South, which is less than half a mile from the place where the individual who placed the devices was first seen on foot near North Carolina and New Jersey Avenues, Southeast.
Cell phone records also show that Cole’s cell phone was located via cell towers in the area of the Republican and Democratic parties on January 5, 2021, between 7:39 p.m. and 8:24 p.m. The FBI’s Cellular Analysis and Study Team determined that Cole’s cell phone location during this period matched the suspect’s route identified by the FBI through video analysis from that day.
