Washington (United States) (AFP) – A man was arrested on Thursday for allegedly planting pipe bombs near the Democratic and Republican party headquarters on the eve of the January 6, 2021 US Capitol riot, US media reported. CNN, citing law enforcement sources, said the man was taken into custody by the FBI, which had offered a $500,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case. ABC News said he was arrested in Virginia. His identity was not immediately available.
The pipe bombs placed outside the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Republican National Committee (RNC) offices in Washington in the evening of January 5 failed to detonate. The devices were discovered by the authorities the next day as supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol in a bid to prevent the congressional certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s election victory.
The FBI released numerous photos and video clips of a masked and hooded suspect over the years and eventually increased the reward money to half a million dollars. But Thursday’s arrest is the first breakthrough in the case, which spawned numerous conspiracy theories among the far right.
© 2024 AFP
