The FBI arrested Brian J. Cole Jr., 30, on Thursday and charged him with transportation of an explosive device via interstate commerce and attempted malicious destruction by means of an explosive device, according to an arrest warrant filed in his case. He is alleged to have placed two pipe bombs near the Democratic and Republican committee headquarters hours before the attack on the US Capitol on January 6-2021.According to the NPR news, Cole told investigators he believed conspiracy theories that the 2020 election was stolen from then-President Trump.The Department of Justice said Cole spoke to law enforcement for more than four hours on Thursday in a custodial interview. He expressed views supportive of Trump, according to the person familiar with the investigation, who was not authorised to speak publicly.Cole spoke to investigators after his arrest at his home in Woodbridge, Va., that he shares with his mother and other family members, about 30 miles from Washington, according to an FBI affidavit filed in court.New leaders at the FBI and the DOJ intensified their focus on the case this year amid intense pressure to solve the crime from Trump’s political base. The FBI released an image with a size chart showing the height of the alleged pipe bomber at 5 foot 7 inches.Attorney General Pam Bondi said the investigation continued and more charges may be added. “Today’s arrest happened because the Trump administration made this case a priority,” she said at a press conference on Thursday. “This cold case languished for four years, until Director [Kash] Patel and Deputy Director [Dan] Bongino came to the FBI.””We are working every day to restore the public’s trust. We are hoping today is a significant step toward that progress,” Bondi said at the presser.Cole made his first court appearance on Friday. He wore a beige jumpsuit and glasses and answered questions from the judge. The next hearing will be a pretrial detention hearing on Dec. 15.Bondi said the FBI had no new tips or new witnesses but had relied on “diligent” police and prosecutorial work to identify the suspect. The FBI had previously set a Rs 4.15 crore (approx) reward for information leading to his capture.FBI Director Kash Patel said, “We solved it,” adding that the suspect will still have his day in court.FBI Director Kash Patel spoke with Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum last month.An FBI affidavit said Cole purchased components that could have been used to make the pipe bombs, including electrical wire, steel wool, battery connectors and parts to close the end of a pipe.Court papers also said a cell phone tied to Cole pinged cell towers near the RNC and DNC the night the bombs were placed. A license plate reader near the area captured his car, a Nissan Sentra, that evening.Jeanine Pirro, the US attorney for the District of Columbia, said, “This case involved millions of pieces of data, and it is a huge win, because it was like finding a needle in a haystack.”The discovery of the bombs occurred at a critical moment on January 6-2021. The first device was found just before the initial breach of rioters at the Peace Circle, and the second was discovered as the Proud Boys helped flood the Capitol’s west front and the fighting was intensifying.Capitol Police Inspector General Michael Bolton told Congress in 2021, “If those pipe bombs were intended to be a diversion, plainly speaking, it worked.”Former USCP Chief Steven Sund wrote in his book, “I believe the timing and placement of these devices were deliberate diversionary tactics, intended to divert significant resources away from securing the Capitol, which they succeeded in doing.”Before joining the FBI as deputy director, Bongino spread conspiracies about the bomber and said it must’ve been an “inside job” by the government.
