December 04, (THEWILL) — The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Thursday announced the first arrest linked to the pipe bombs planted outside the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Republican National Committee (RNC) headquarters on the eve of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot — a major breakthrough in a case that has baffled investigators for nearly five years.
Sources familiar with the development said the suspect was taken into custody after a painstaking federal probe, marking progress on one of the most elusive threads of the broader January 6 investigations.
The explosive devices — made from 1×8-inch metal pipes, kitchen timers and homemade black powder — were placed outside both party headquarters on the night of January 5, 2021.
Although they did not detonate, the FBI has repeatedly described them as “viable,” warning that they had the potential to cause mass casualties.
The bombs were not discovered until the afternoon of January 6, at a time when law enforcement officers were already overwhelmed by the violent breach of the U.S. Capitol.
Then Vice President-elect Kamala Harris was quickly evacuated from the DNC building once one of the devices was found.
Federal authorities have since charged more than 1,500 individuals connected to the Capitol riot, tracking suspects nationwide.
But despite the release of surveillance footage showing a hooded figure believed to be responsible and a $500,000 reward for information, the pipe bomb case remained unsolved for years.
Momentum appeared to shift in May when Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino disclosed on X that unsolved January 6 cases — including the pipe bomb investigation — had been assigned additional resources.
He said he received weekly briefings and that the bureau was “making progress.”
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