A law enforcement official told CBS news on Saturday that the explosive devices found Wednesday at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee and the National Republican Committee were viable, although it is unclear how big they were or how much damage they could have done. DNC and RNC headquarters are located just blocks from the U.S. Capitol, which was under siege by a pro-Trump crowd on Wednesday.
Finding the culprit who planted the tubular bombs is a priority for the FBI and all 56 field offices are involved in the investigation, the officer said. There are wanted posters and advertisements at bus stops with images of someone suspected of planting the bombs, and the agency posted the images on social media on Thursday.
The FBI said on Thursday that it is offering $ 50,000 for information “leading to the location, arrest and conviction” of the perpetrator.
According to the FBI, “several law enforcement agencies received reports” of the explosives at around 1 pm, approximately as the riots on Capitol Hill began to escalate when President Trump’s supporters began breaking a barricade across the street. . Capitol Police told CBS News that it was responding at the height of the attack and was therefore exhausted.
The official said the FBI is aware of the Twitter conversation about plans to attack state capitals on Jan. 17, and is monitoring this and possible unrest on other dates.
Andres Triay, Catherine Herridge, April Siese and Caroline Linton contributed to this report.