Michelle Martin

Lawmakers saw video of a second U.S.

I'm Michelle Martin with Steve Inskeep, and this is Up First from NPR News.

Federal agents accused a suspect of planting two pipe bombs on the eve of the January 6th attack on the Capitol.

Democrats said they were disturbed by the second hit on a boat allegedly carrying drugs, killing two men after the boat was disabled.

Republicans said the strike was justified because the two survivors of the first strike might have continued on to their destination.

Yet even Republicans described the survivors in a desperate situation.

Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton said the survivors were, quote, trying to flip a boat, suggesting the boat had capsized after a U.S.

missile strike, which other lawmakers confirmed.

The night before a mob of President Trump's supporters stormed the U.S.

Capitol on January 6th of 2021, somebody placed two pipe bombs outside the Republican and Democratic National Party headquarters, which are nearby.

NPR Justice Correspondent Ryan Lucas is covering this and he's with us now.

Good morning, Ryan.

Good morning.

So what can you tell us about this person who's now in custody and what's he charged with?

So for almost five years, the FBI has been trying to find the person who planted these bombs.

Did officials say yesterday what, after all this time, led them to Cole?

Now, people might remember there have been a lot of conspiracy theories about these pipe bombs.

Who left them?

Why?

Now that the suspect is in custody, do we know anything about the motive or whether these bombs were connected to the attack on the Capitol?