Virginia: The FBI arrested a black man identified as Brian Cole, 30, in connection with planting pipe bombs at both the Republican and Democratic National Committee headquarters near the Capitol the night before the January 6, 2021 (J6) protest. Cole was reported to work for a bail bonds company and lives with his mother. CNN news anchor Jake Tapper misidentified Cole as being a white man.

Critics are suspicious of the timing of the arrest as Steve Baker, an investigative journalist with The Blaze, revealed that a female former Capitol Police officer matched the pipe bomber by 94% in a gait analysis. The FBI reviewed the matter and, after the woman produced a timestamped video of herself at home with puppies at the time the devices were placed, ruled her out as a suspect. 

Reports indicate that investigators tracked Brian Cole down using cell phone data, license plate readers, and purchase records, isolating all the components used to make the bombs. Investigators still haven't confirmed his motive or if the timing is connected to what unfolded at the Capitol the very next day.