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Virginia Man Charged in Jan. 6 Pipe-Bomb Case

U.S. authorities on Thursday announced charges against a Virginia man who they said placed two pipe bombs near the headquarters of the Democratic and Republican national committees the night before the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The arrest of Brian Cole Jr., 30, of Woodbridge, Va., is the first time the Justice Department named a suspect in the long-running investigation into the devices, which confounded investigators for years.

Officials charged Cole with two federal explosives charges, although they didn’t reveal a possible motive. Cole lives with his mother and other family members and works at a bail bondsman’s office in northern Virginia, according to a court filing from the Justice Department.

“There was no new tip, there was no new witness, just good police work and prosecutorial work,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said.

An affidavit filed in Washington federal court on Thursday pointed to records from Jan. 5 that allegedly showed a cell phone used by Cole near where the devices were found, as well as purchases he had previously made of “multiple items consistent with the components that were used to manufacture the pipe bombs placed at the RNC and DNC.”

Police discovered the pair of devices early in the afternoon of Jan. 6, at the same time as rioters began to breach police barricades around the outer perimeter of the Capitol. Neither bomb exploded, but the Federal Bureau of Investigation deemed both viable, with the capacity to kill or severely injure bystanders.

The FBI had been under intense pressure to solve the crime and made multiple pleas for information over the years. Some of President Trump’s supporters had complained about the lack of substantial progress in the probe, spawning conspiracy theories about the bombs that law-enforcement officials have attempted to rebut.
Among those critics was Dan Bongino, the FBI’s No. 2 official, who, as a former right-wing podcaster, accused the bureau of lying about its investigation and made the issue one of his top priorities once in government. He and FBI Director Kash Patel on Thursday accused former FBI officials of letting the investigation languish.

In the initial weeks after the Jan. 6 attack, the Justice Department devoted dozens of federal agents to the pipe-bomb investigation, expecting to make a quick arrest. But no immediate breakthrough came as investigators amassed a trove of evidence including credit-card transaction records and phone data.

In the course of the probe, the Justice Department subpoenaed major retailers, including Home Depot and Lowe’s, for purchases of commonly sold parts used in the pipe bombs. Investigators also went to Google to help identify people who had searched online for instructions to make pipe bombs and for directions to the RNC and DNC.

The affidavit released Thursday said Cole purchased several items used to make a pipe bomb—including galvanized pipe, nine-volt battery connectors and 14-gauge electrical wires—in 2019 and 2020. He bought more of those materials in the weeks following Jan. 5, 2021, the document said.

On the night of Jan. 5, Cole’s car was spotted less than half a mile from where the person who placed the devices was first observed on foot, the affidavit said. Cell-tower records showed his phone was active in that area for about the next hour, according to the document.

Patel said they brought in new personnel to examine the case as part of the administration’s renewed focus on breaking the investigative impasse.

“You’re not going to walk into our capital city, put down two explosive devices and walk off into the sunset,” Bongino said Thursday. “We were going to track this person to the end of the Earth.”

Read more: Virginia Man Charged in Jan. 6 Pipe-Bomb Case - WSJ
ALEA, ICE work together to detain illegal commercial truck drivers

Alabama is teaming up with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to make the state's interstates safer.

Since October 27, 82 suspected illegal immigrants and illegal truck operators have been detained during inspections. The majority of the arrests occurred during two separate three-day Strike Force operations, along with Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) officers.

Gov. Kay Ivey announced that ICE agents are now routinely taking part in commercial vehicle enforcement assignments.

"Alabama is leading the way when it comes to going after illegal bad actors in trucking," said Ivey. "I'm proud of ALEA for taking decisive action and grateful for our strong partnership with ICE. Alabama will not look the other way while illegal immigration and illegal operators threaten the safety of our communities or undermine the integrity of our trucking industry. If you are here illegally and breaking our laws or putting folks at risk on our highways, you will be held accountable in our state."

Of the 82 individuals detained, 12 did not have a driver's license. The remaining 70 had out-of-state licenses.

The immigration crisis brought along with it an increase in commercial truck drivers who are unable to speak proficient English. President Donald Trump signed an executive order requiring commercial drivers to "read and speak the English language."

However, after a deadly crash in Thomasville that involved a foreign truck driver who plowed through an intersection killing two people, the driver had to get a Ukrainian interpreter because he couldn't effectively communicate, according to his own lawyers. Andrii Dmyterko is charged with two counts of vehicular homicide.

A third woman involved in the crash has filed a civil lawsuit claiming negligent or wanton driving, negligent or wanton hiring and training, supervision, retention and entrustment and negligent or wanton inspection, maintenance, service, alteration, repair or other ways. The company Dmyterko worked for, 4 US Transport, is named in the lawsuit.

Read more: ALEA, ICE work together to detain illegal commercial truck drivers
Amtrak service from Mobile to New Orleans surges past 46,000 riders, shattering expectations

By John Sharp | jsharp@al.com

Amtrak’s Mardi Gras Service is surging far beyond expectations, with more than 46,000 riders since its Aug. 18 launch and trains filling up along the Gulf Coast.

In its first 108 days, the national passenger rail operator says the line is averaging more than 420 customers a day on round trips between Mobile and New Orleans, a pace that easily outstrips projections for the route’s first year.

The service had been expected to draw 71,000 riders in 12 months, but “we are well on-track to double the original estimate,” said Amtrak Board Chairman Anthony “Tony” Coscia. “Demand is very high across our network.”

The figures arrive ahead of a Southern Rail Commission meeting Friday in Bay St. Louis, Miss., one of four Mississippi stops on the line. They were released during an Amtrak Board of Directors meeting in New Orleans.
What Amtrak did not provide is a breakdown of how many of the Mardi Gras Service passengers are traveling eastbound, from New Orleans to Mobile as opposed to those who may be traveling from Mobile to the Crescent City.

Knox Ross, chairman of the SRC, said he believes demand is strong in both directions.

“It puts to bed the notion that no one wants to come to Mobile,” said Ross, whose organization lobbied for years to get the service restarted between the two cities. “What we’re finding is we’re far ahead of the projections -- more than double. The ridership has grown each month. It’s become a part of the transportation infrastructure.”

Amtrak is also crediting regional tourism partners and the SRC for boosting customer satisfaction, saying 96% of riders report they were “extremely satisfied” with their trips.

The company cites “reliable service over the CSX, Norfolk Southern and New Orleans Public Belt railroads” for “more than 86%” on-time performance, calling it one of the strongest records in its network. Even with occasional delays, the release notes that “almost 90% of customers are still extremely satisfied.”

The surge comes as the Mardi Gras Service enters its namesake season, when Carnival festivities draw hundreds of thousands to Mobile and more than 1 million to New Orleans. Mobile’s more than 40 parades begin in late January, while New Orleans Krewes start rolling Jan. 6. Celebrations continue through Fat Tuesday on Feb. 17 in the cities with stops along the route -- Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi and Pascagoula.

Amtrak spokesperson Marc Magliari said there are no plans to adjust the twice-daily schedule during Carnival. In September, the line added an extra car to handle crowds traveling for New Orleans Saints games at the Caesars Superdome, within walking distance of Union Passenger Terminal.

The timing has Amtrak officials forecasting a strong first quarter, when ridership typically softens elsewhere in the system. The service is sponsored by Louisiana and Mississippi with support from the City of Mobile in cooperation with the SRC.

Mobile’s City Council in 2024 committed more than $3 million over three years to support operations through 2027 and has directed the SRC to seek help from the State of Alabama if funding is needed beyond that period.

“Amtrak is proud of what we’ve achieved with local partners in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama,” said Amtrak Executive Vice President Jennifer Mitchell. “Credit goes to the communities along the route, who have embraced this service faster than anyone could have predicted.”

This service is sponsored by the states of Louisiana and Mississippi, with the City of Mobile, in cooperation with the SRC.

In Mobile, the City Council’s actions in 2024, committed over $3 million in funding to support the train’s operations over three years. The funding is good through 2027, though city officials have instructed the SRC to seek a commitment from the State of Alabama if funding is required to maintain its operations beyond the first three years.

“Amtrak is proud of what we’ve achieved with local partners in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama,” said Amtrak Executive Vice President Jennifer Mitchell said in a statement. “Credit goes to the communities along the route, who have embraced this service faster than anyone could have predicted.”

Amtrak Mardi Gras Service began in August offering service along the Gulf Coast for the first time in almost 20 years since Hurricane Katrina’s landfall in 2005, destroyed much of the rail line. While much of the line was long ago rebuilt, it took years to get the service restarted due to lawsuits, negotiations, agreements, and funding arrangements required to get the train route restored.

Read more : Amtrak service from Mobile to New Orleans surges past 46,000 riders, shattering expectations - al.com