After nearly five years, several change-ups in investigative teams, and what officials described as coming through millions of pieces of data, the FBI has finally hauled in the man they say planted the pipe bombs outside the RNC and DNC headquarters on Jan. 5, 2021. The bombs were found on the same day that Trump supporters stormed Congress in an effort to halt lawmakers from certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential victory.
The suspect: Brian Cole Jr., 30, of Woodbridge, Virginia: a hoodie-wearing, face-masked figure who became the FBI’s longest-running “Where’s Waldo” search.
Cole was arrested Thursday at a family home shared with his mother, ending an investigation so sprawling it probably qualifies for its own zip code. He now faces charges including transporting explosives across state lines with intent to kill or injure, and attempted malicious destruction – with prosecutors politely adding, “More charges pending.” Translation: They’re just getting warmed up.
The 2025 Trump-era FBI made cracking the case a top priority. Investigators sifted through millions of data points to get there – cell phone records, surveillance footage, tips, and more. But what finally helped crack the case? According to Just the News, the criminal complaint in the FBI’s investigation reveals that agents cracked the case by tracing purchases tied to the suspect’s bank account and six different credit cards. From these records, they identified purchases of materials used to make the bombs. That financial trail provided the critical link that allowed investigators to single out the suspect and advance the long-dormant case. They also provided information on cell phone tracking and a license plate reader in the probable cause affidavit.
FBI Deputy Director and former talk show host Dan Bongino – who made the case a personal priority since taking office in March – couldn’t resist delivering the line of the day: “You’re not going to walk into our capital city, put down two explosive devices and walk off into the sunset. Not gonna happen.”
Media reports say that Cole lives with his mom (of course he does) and works for a bail bond company. The house is in a quiet neighborhood, and he managed to avoid detection despite the entire internet attempting to analyze his gait like a deranged podiatry conference. Neighbors report he was quiet and kept to himself – but has a dog that he loves (a Chihuahua).
After years of treating blurry CCTV stills like they were Big Foot sightings, the FBI can finally retire the mystery-man posters. The suspect isn’t a ghost, a myth, or a pair of oddly swinging arms – he’s Brian Cole Jr., now very much a real human in federal custody and the sunset he’s riding into now comes with bars.
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