In a recent development that has captured national attention, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino has announced that the bureau is making significant progress in the investigation of the pipe bomb incident that occurred near the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
This revelation indicates that the four-year-old mystery may soon be unraveled.
"The second we got in, I put a team on it and I said, I want answers on this," Bongino declared on "Fox & Friends," as reported by Fox News. "And I'm pretty confident that we're closing in on some suspects."
The two pipe bombs were discovered near the headquarters of the Republican and Democratic National Committees at the same time as thousands of protesters, disgruntled with the 2020 election results, began to converge on the Capitol. This timing has sparked speculation among a segment of President Donald Trump's supporters, who have questioned the security failures surrounding the incident and the transparency of the Biden administration regarding the case's details.
Bongino, a former Secret Service agent and podcast host, had previously suggested that the FBI was concealing the truth about the pipe bomb incident, alleging it was an "inside job." Now, in his role as deputy director, he faces mounting pressure to disclose new information about the case.
Video footage released by the FBI depicts an unidentified individual placing the pipe bombs near the two headquarters more than 16 hours before they were discovered by law enforcement. The suspect, captured on camera, is seen clad in a gray hoodie, Nike Air Max Speed Turf sneakers, a face mask, glasses, and gloves. The FBI also revealed that the suspect's height is approximately 5-foot-7.
The first pipe bomb was found by a Capitol Hill resident in an alley behind the RNC headquarters. Security footage shows her fleeing the area and alerting a security guard, triggering a search that led to the discovery of a second pipe bomb at the DNC headquarters.
A report published last year by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) inspector general disclosed that the two explosive devices were "viable" and "could have detonated, causing innocent bystanders to be seriously injured or killed." The bombs were equipped with one-hour timers, but an FBI official stated in the DHS report that they did not believe the timers could have detonated the bombs since the time had already elapsed when the bombs were found.
The report, along with an investigative report released by House Republicans, revealed that then-Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were at one point in close proximity to the pipe bomb near the DNC.
The FBI has received over 600 tips and continues to offer a $500,000 reward for any successful leads. The House Republicans' report also noted that the FBI initially investigated a person who had searched "pipe bomb DC" on the internet and another person who had recently purchased the Nike shoes seen in the surveillance footage. However, the pace of the FBI's inquiry slowed after about a month due to a lack of leads.
Login