U.S. authorities have apprehended a man suspected of planting pipe bombs in Washington, D.C., on the night before the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump, according to two officials familiar with the matter.
The arrest comes after a multi-year investigation by the FBI, which released surveillance footage, offered a $500,000 reward, and followed hundreds of tips in its search for the suspect.
The video, captured on January 5, 2021, shows the individual placing a pipe bomb near a bench outside the Democratic National Committee building, and another device at the Republican National Committee headquarters. Both locations are situated near the U.S. Capitol.
The suspect was apprehended in Virginia, a law enforcement official confirmed. “We have him,” a Justice Department representative told Reuters. The individual is expected to make an initial court appearance in Washington, D.C., according to sources briefed on the case.
The bombs were discovered on the same day that Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to prevent Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. Law enforcement successfully deactivated both devices before they could detonate.
The January 6 insurrection resulted in widespread chaos, with rioters breaching police barricades, assaulting approximately 140 officers, and causing over $2.8 million in damage to the Capitol complex. Following the events, President Trump pardoned nearly 1,500 individuals who had been criminally charged for participating in the attack when he returned to office in January.
This arrest marks a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the coordinated events surrounding the January 6 Capitol attack.
