Confession from Pipe Bomb Suspect Linked to Capitol Attack

Fri Dec 05 2025 23:25:48 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Brian Cole Jr., accused of planting explosives near party headquarters prior to the Capitol assault, admits to the charges during FBI questioning.

Brian Cole Jr., a 30-year-old suspect from Virginia, has confessed to planting pipe bombs outside the Democratic and Republican national committee headquarters the night before the January 6 Capitol attack. He shared his belief that the 2020 election was illegitimate and was arrested after being traced through credit card transactions linked to the bomb components. Federal authorities have yet to confirm a direct connection between Cole's actions and the subsequent Capitol attack.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Brian Cole Jr., the individual accused of planting a pair of pipe bombs outside the Democratic and Republican national committee headquarters on January 5, 2021, has reportedly confessed to the act during interviews with investigators, two sources familiar with the investigation disclosed to The Associated Press.

Cole, 30, who hails from Woodbridge, Virginia, indicated support for President Trump's claims about the 2020 election being stolen. Details of Cole's confession add a new dimension to the ongoing investigation, although further information regarding his motives or any potential links to the Capitol attack itself has not been made public.

As Cole prepares for a court appearance, his public defender’s office declined to comment, and attempts to reach Cole’s family were unsuccessful. The FBI, which had long been investigating this case, narrowed down their search following credit card transactions connected to the purchase of components needed to create the pipe bombs.

This recent arrest has marked the first identification of a suspect in relation to this nearly five-year mystery intertwined with the broader context of the Capitol uprising.