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The FBI has arrested the man allegedly responsible for planting homemade bombs near the U.S. Capitol complex nearly five years ago, three sources familiar with the matter confirmed to NPR.
The sources were not authorized to speak publicly ahead of a news conference expected later Thursday. The suspect is a man arrested in Woodbridge, Virginia, about 35 miles from Washington, one of the sources said.
The FBI spent years searching for the man who planted bombs near the headquarters of the Democratic and Republican Party committees hours before the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
FBI agents conducted 1,000 interviews and reviewed nearly 40,000 video files. But the alleged terrorist remained elusive for years despite a $500,000 reward.
New leaders at the FBI and Justice Department have stepped up their focus on the case this year.
The discovery of the bombs came at a critical time: the first was discovered shortly before rioters' first breach of the Peace Circle near the Capitol, and then the second was found as the Proud Boys helped flood the west front of the Capitol and fighting intensified.
“If these pipe bombs were intended to be a distraction, then frankly, it worked,” said Capitol Police Inspector General Michael Bolton. reported to Congress in 2021.
Former USCP chief Steven Sund wrote in his book that the discovery of the bombs diverted attention and resources at critical moments:
“I believe the timing and placement of these devices was a deliberate diversionary tactic designed to divert significant resources from securing the Capitol, which they succeeded in doing.”
Before joining the FBI as Deputy Director, Dan Bongino spread terrorist conspiracies. and said it must have been an “inside job” of the government.
NPR's Tom Dreisbach contributed to this report.
