Pipe bomb suspect told FBI he targeted U.S. political parties : NPR

WASHINGTON — A man accused of planting two pipe bombs in Washington ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol told investigators after his arrest that he believed someone should “speak out” for people who believe the 2020 election was stolen and that he wanted to attack the country's political parties because they were “in charge,” prosecutors said Sunday.

The charges were laid out in a Justice Department memorandum that argued that Brian J. Cole Jr., arrested earlier this month on charges of placing pipe bombs near the headquarters of the Democratic and Republican National Committees, should remain in custody while the case moves forward.

The memo provides the government's most detailed account of statements Cole is said to have made to investigators and cites evidence, including bomb-making components found in his home after his arrest, that officials say link him to the act. The pipe bombs failed to explode and were discovered on Jan. 6, the day rioters supporting President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol in an attempt to stop the certification of his election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.

Cole denied to investigators that his actions were related to Congress or the events of Jan. 6, the memo said. But after initially disputing his involvement in the pipe bombs, prosecutors said, he admitted to placing them outside the RNC and the Democratic National Committee and acknowledged feeling disillusioned with the 2020 election, tired of both political parties and sympathetic to claims by Trump and some of his allies that the contest was stolen.

According to the memo, he told agents who interviewed him that if people “feel like something as important as voting in a federal election is being rigged, that it's, you know, being invalidated, then, like, somebody's got to speak up, right?” Someone's upstairs. Well, just to at least calm the situation down.”

He said that “something just snapped” after “all the watching, it just kept getting worse” and that he wanted to do something “for the parties” because “they were in charge,” according to the Justice Department memo. Prosecutors said when Cole was asked why he planted explosives at the RNC and the Democratic National Committee, he responded, “I really don't like either side at this point.”

Cole was arrested on the morning of December 4 at his home in Woodbridge, Virginia. Law enforcement officials called it a major breakthrough in their nearly five-year investigation. His lawyers will also have a chance to present their case on the detention issue ahead of a hearing scheduled for Tuesday in federal court in Washington.

This courtroom sketch shows Brian Cole Jr., 30, of Woodbridge, Virginia, the man accused of planting a pair of pipe bombs near the headquarters of the Republican and Democratic National parties on Jan. 5, 2021, in Washington, being sworn in on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya in Federal Court in Washington as U.S. Attorney Charles Jones (seated, left) and defense lawyer. John Shoreman, sitting in the center, look.

Dana Vercouteren/AP

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During a search of Cole's home and car after his arrest, investigators found bags containing bomb-making components, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said he initially denied making or planting the pipe bombs, and when asked about his whereabouts on the evening of Jan. 5, 2021, he initially told investigators he was there alone to attend a protest related to the 2020 election.

“I didn't agree with what people were doing, like just telling half the country that they – that they – that they should just ignore it. I didn’t think it was a good idea, so I went to the protest,” he was quoted as saying in the note.

But during hours of questioning, prosecutors say, Cole admitted that he came to Washington not to protest, but rather to plant bombs. He placed the explosives in a shoebox in the backseat of his Nissan Sentra and placed one each near the headquarters of the RNC and the Democratic National Committee, setting a timer for 60 minutes, the memo said.

None of the devices exploded, and Cole said he was “very relieved” he planted them at night because he didn't want to kill anyone, the note said.

The fact that the devices did not explode was due to luck rather than a lack of effort, prosecutors said, arguing that Cole poses a danger to the public and should remain in custody pending trial.

“Defendant’s targeting endangered the lives of not only innocent pedestrians and office workers, but also law enforcement officials, first responders, and national political leaders who were at or passing by their respective party headquarters on January 6, 2021, including the Vice President-elect and the Speaker of the House of Representatives,” prosecutors wrote.