Evidence against J6 pipe bomb suspect was just ‘sitting there’ for years, DOJ says

Bondi, Patel give update on the arrest of suspected Jan. 6 pipe bomber Brian Cole Jr.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel and others on the arrest of a suspect in connection to the Jan. 6 pipe bomb case.

Department of Justice leaders criticized the Biden administration for failing to achieve what they accomplished on Thursday by arresting a suspect after pipe bombs were found near the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said during a press conference announcing the arrest of Brian Cole Jr. that existing evidence led to the FBI’s breakthrough in a cold case that had "languished" for nearly five years.

"What I will tell you is that evidence has been sitting there collecting dust," Bondi said. "This wasn't a new tip. It wasn't some new evidence. It was the hard work of President Trump's administration."

Bondi said federal investigators were able to identify Cole after spending months "sifting through evidence that had been sitting at the FBI with the Biden administration." She said bringing charges against Cole was not a result of any new witnesses or leads but rather "good, diligent police work and prosecutorial work."

FBI ARRESTS SUSPECT IN DC PIPE BOMB CASE AFTER 5-YEAR INVESTIGATION

Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel arrive for a news conference about an arrest of a suspect in the Jan. 6 pipe bombing case at the Department of Justice Dec. 4, 2025, in Washington, D,C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Court papers unsealed Thursday revealed that bank records showing purchases of pipe bomb material and cell phone tower data were used to identify Cole. The suspect is now in custody facing charges of using explosives, with more charges possible, and he is expected to make his first court appearance Friday.

Surveillance footage released by the FBI showed an unidentified suspect in a hoodie planting two explosive devices near the Republican and Democratic National Committees’ headquarters on the night of Jan. 5, 2021. 

Authorities said the devices were "viable" and could have detonated. The first one was discovered by a woman in an alleyway doing her laundry, investigative reports said. She immediately reported her finding to the police, prompting a search that led to the discovery of the second bomb, the reports said.

A congressional report revealed that the FBI during the Biden administration began "diverting resources" away from the investigation at the end of February 2021, after less than two months.

Surveillance photos of the pipe bomb suspect in Washington, D.C., in January 2021. (FBI)

"In the immediate aftermath of January 6, the FBI’s case team worked aggressively to cultivate and pursue leads toward apprehending the pipe bomb suspect," the report stated, adding the inquiry might have fizzled because of a lack of credible leads.

The yearslong mystery left many in Trump’s base raising questions and theories about the case. Speculation centered on the discovery of the bombs timed up with the riot on Jan. 6 and the security failures that allowed top politicians, including Vice President Kamala Harris, to unwittingly come into proximity with the explosives.

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino was among the top voices promoting the theory, before he joined the bureau, that the Biden administration was hiding evidence about the case and that planting the bombs was an "inside job." DOJ leaders have given no information on the suspect's motive and said the investigation is in an early stage.

FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR CLAIMS BUREAU ‘CLOSING IN’ ON SUSPECTS WHO PLANTED JAN. 6 PIPE BOMBS

Dan Bongino, deputy director of the FBI, flanked by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro, left, and Attorney General Pam Bondi, right, speaks at a news conference about the Jan. 6 pipe bomber at the Department of Justice Dec. 4, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

At a news conference, Bongino said he made the pipe bomb case a top priority after he told Fox News in May the bureau was "closing in" on suspects.

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"I spoke with Ms. Bondi very early, maybe day two, and I said, ‘We’re going to get this guy.’ She said, ‘Yes, you are.’ And we did," Bongino said Thursday.

"You're not going to walk into our capital city, put down two explosive devices and walk off in the sunset. Not going to happen," Bongino said. "There was no way he was getting away."

Ashley Oliver is a reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business, covering the Justice Department and legal affairs. Email story tips to [email protected].