Brian Cole, Jr.

📍 Location

📝 Description

Brian Cole Jr., a 30-year-old resident of Woodbridge, Virginia, was identified as the person who planted two pipe bombs outside the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., on the night of January 5, 2021. After nearly five years of investigation, federal authorities arrested Cole on December 4, 2025 at a home in Woodbridge. He was charged with transporting an explosive device in interstate commerce and attempting malicious destruction by means of explosive materials, with prosecutors indicating additional charges could follow. Authorities linked Cole to purchases of bomb components and located his cellphone and surveillance data near the scene at the time the devices were placed; surveillance footage reportedly showed the suspect wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, dark pants, gloves, and Nike Air Max Speed Turf shoes. Cole appeared in court the next day, and a detention hearing was scheduled for December 15, 2025. The case marks a long-awaited breakthrough in a probe that had become a focal point for debate over the Jan. 6 period, though authorities stressed there is no public link established between the bombs and the Capitol riot itself.

🔍 Circumstances

Two undetonated pipe bombs were placed near the DNC and RNC headquarters in Washington, D.C., on the evening of January 5, 2021. They were discovered the next day and defused; no injuries occurred. After years of investigation, Cole was arrested at his Woodbridge, Virginia home on December 4, 2025. Surveillance and transaction data linked him to bomb components and to the vicinity of the scene on the night the devices were placed.

👤 Physical Description

Public reporting describes the suspect as a 30-year-old Black man. Surveillance footage described by authorities showed him wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, dark pants, gloves, and Nike Air Max Speed Turf shoes at the time the devices were placed.

ℹ️ Additional Details

Arrest represents the first major breakthrough in the pipe-bomb investigation after years of no public arrests. Cole is reported to be cooperating with investigators, with statements indicating he believed conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. The charges announced include transporting an explosive device in interstate commerce and attempted malicious destruction by means of explosive materials; prosecutors indicated more charges could follow. A detention hearing was scheduled for December 15, 2025.

🔗 Sources (9)

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