The suspect who allegedly planted pipe bombs blocks from the U.S. Capitol on January 5, 2021, has been identified as Brian Cole Jr. of Woodbridge, Va., according to two sources briefed on the arrest.
The sources say Cole, 30, is in FBI custody as of Thursday following roughly five years of investigation.
The FBI arrested Cole in northern Virginia.
Authorities have not released further details about the man, but one federal law enforcement source told Fox that the FBI is carrying out ‘court-enforced activity’ at Cole’s residence.
Authorities discovered the two pipe bombs near the Republican and Democratic National Committees’ headquarters around the same time that thousands of protesters a few blocks away began to storm the Capitol over the 2020 election results.
Neither bomb detonated, but authorities say both were viable and dangerous.
Video footage released by the FBI showed the suspect placing the pipe bombs near the two headquarters more than 16 hours before law enforcement found them.
The suspect was seen wearing a gray hoodie, Nike Air Max Speed Turf sneakers, a mask, glasses and gloves, but Cole’s identity had long been unknown.