Brian Cole Jr. Detained Over 2021 Washington Pipe Bomb Incidents
Brian Cole Jr., 30, of Woodbridge, Virginia, has been charged with constructing, transporting, and attempting to detonate two improvised explosive devices near the Democratic and Republican party headquarters in Washington on January 5, 2021. The devices did not explode.
Cole was arrested on December 4, 2025. Following his arrest, searches of his home in Woodbridge uncovered bomb-making components in a bedroom closet matching those used in the 2021 incidents. Court documents revealed that his mobile phone connected with five cell towers near the party headquarters during the time of the incident, and a license plate reader recorded his vehicle leaving I-395 around 7:10 pm that day.
Financial records show Cole purchased nearly all components for the bombs from Northern Virginia retailers between 2019 and 2020, with additional purchases continuing through August 2022.
In a video interview after his arrest, Cole initially denied involvement but later admitted to being the person in surveillance footage after investigators reminded him that lying is an offense. Investigators state he traveled to Washington to protest the 2020 election outcome and targeted both party headquarters because he believed those parties were responsible; Cole expressed dislike for both parties.
A federal magistrate judge granted the government’s motion for pretrial detention, determining that Cole poses an intolerable risk of danger to the community if released and that no conditions could reasonably ensure public safety. Defense lawyers highlighted Cole's autism spectrum diagnosis, lack of criminal history, and low flight risk, requesting home detention with GPS monitoring, but the court rejected these requests.
The charges against Cole include transportation of explosive devices across state lines with intent to harm and malicious destruction using explosives. These charges carry potentially heavy penalties, including up to 20 years for the latter.
