Suspect arrested in pipe bomb incident on eve of Jan 6, ending years-long manhunt

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 4 min read 100% complete December 4, 2025 at 04:58 PM

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medium article 4 min

Brian Cole Jr., a 30-year-old Virginia man, was arrested on Thursday in connection to the pipe bombs placed outside the Republican and Democratic national committee headquarters in Washington D.C. on January 5, 2021. The arrest concludes a nearly five-year manhunt involving extensive investigation and a $500,000 reward. Cole is charged with use of an explosive device, and further charges may follow. Investigators identified Cole by sifting through existing evidence, including millions of data points, linking him to the purchase of bomb-making components and placing him near the crime scenes via mobile phone data and license plate readers. While authorities have not yet disclosed a motive, they emphasized the Trump administration's prioritization of the case and the investigators' perseverance in solving it.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Washington, DC 40% Virginia ×250% Jeanine Pirro 60% FBI ×370% Pam Bondi ×280% US Attorney General Pam Bondi ×280% Brian Cole Jr. ×3100%

Keywords

pipe bomb 100% arrest 80% january 6 70% investigation 70% fbi 60% explosive device 60% democratic national committee 50% republican national committee 50% bomb-making components 40%