Reports: FBI apprehend suspect linked to January 2021 pipe bomb incident

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has taken into custody an individual suspected of placing pipe bombs in Washington, D.C., shortly before the Capitol riot in January 2021, according to U.S. media sources.

Reports from ABC News and Fox News, citing insiders familiar with the case, indicate that the suspect is a man from Virginia. Authorities believe he planted the explosive devices near both the Democratic and Republican party headquarters on the night preceding the Capitol attack.

Details regarding the suspects motivation remain undisclosed.

On January 6, 2021, supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol, attempting to block the certification of Joe Bidens victory in the 2020 presidential election. Two weeks before Bidens inauguration, Trump had publicly claimed that the election results were fraudulent.

The pipe bombs were discovered only after the Capitol had been breached. Earlier efforts to identify the culprit were unsuccessful, prompting the FBI in October to offer a $500,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Author: Connor Blake