The FBI has made an arrest in its nearly 5-year-old investigation into who placed pipe bombs in Washington before the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

 

That's according to a law enforcement official who spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday.

 

Associated Press reporter Eric Tucker says the arrest marks the first time investigators have settled on a suspect in an act that had long vexed law enforcement and spawned conspiracy theories.

 

“The investigation has really vexed law enforcement. It spawned a multitude of conspiracy theories, and until now it's failed to result in an arrest despite law enforcement pursuing many tips,” Tucker said.

 

The pipe bombs were placed on Jan. 5, 2021, near the offices of the Democratic and Republican national committees.

 

Nobody was hurt before the bombs were rendered safe, but the FBI said both devices could have been lethal.

 

“We don't actually know the name or the motive or any additional details yet beyond that a person has been taken into custody. We do expect that individual to appear in court in Washington, and we do expect to hear more information. But this really represents the first breakthrough in one of the FBI's most significant unsolved recent cases,” Tucker said.