FBI arrests suspect accused of planting DC pipe bombs on eve of January 6 riots
The FBI announced the arrest following a five-year investigation into the bomb planting, which took place before the violent takeover of the Capitol by Trump supporters
A male suspect has been arrested over the planting of a pipe bomb in Washington D.C., on the eve of the January 6 riots in 2021.
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The FBI announced the arrest following a five-year investigation into the bomb planting, which took place before the violent takeover of the Capitol by Trump supporters.
No further details of the arrest have been released by the authorities, who detained the suspect on Thursday morning.
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Officials say the bombs were positioned on cars near the offices of the Democratic and Republican national committees in the capital, hours before violence broke out.
The arrest has fuelled numerous conspiracy theories surrounding the dark day when angry mobs of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol.
The bombs - made up of 1x8 inch threaded galvanised pipes, end caps, kitchen timers, wires, metal clips and homemade black powder - were disarmed before anybody could be hurt.
But they "could have seriously injured or killed innocent bystanders", the FBI said.
A $500,000 reward had been offered by the Bureau for anyone with information that could lead to an arrest, with updated surveillance footage of the suspected bomber released to help attract intel.
In the footage, a man - approximately 5 feet 7 inches - is seen dressed in a grey hooded sweatshirt and black gloves.
He is also wearing black-and-gray Nike Air Max Speed Turf Shoes with a yellow swoosh logo - a trainer that sold fewer than 25,000 pairs between August 2018 and January 2021.
The suspect also used a backpack to transport the devices.
Despite the footage, physical description and hundreds of tips and interviews, the FBI failed for five years to make an arrest.
This has led many Republican lawmakers and right-wing media outlets to promote conspiracy theories about the pipe bombs, which they believe was an “inside job” and involved a “massive cover-up".