The US Army is gearing up to carry out four executions if President Donald Trump gives the go-ahead, as per an internal planning document obtained by ABC News.
This initiative, dubbed “Operation Resolute Justice,” would mark the first time in over 50 years that the military would execute convicted American prisoners. The plan entails coordinating with the Federal Bureau of Prisons to transfer condemned inmates from the US Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to the federal execution facility in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Although the Justice Department conducted non-military federal executions at the Terre Haute site during Trump’s first term, the military has not executed a service member since 1961. Army spokesperson Cynthia Smith revealed that the Army regularly conducts exercises related to this operation, as part of ongoing readiness for potential death sentences authorized by the President.
Preparations involve various Army divisions getting ready to facilitate executions within 150 days of presidential approval of the death penalties. Detailed timelines for progress meetings and execution protocols are outlined, including procedures for public announcements regarding executions.
Under Trump’s administration, federal executions have nearly doubled, with the Department of Justice expanding the range of execution methods to include firing squads, gas asphyxiation, and electrocution. In a 48-page memo, the department emphasized that broadening these methods would enhance the death penalty’s effectiveness in deterring heinous crimes and providing closure to victims’ families.
Furthermore, the department highlighted the importance of having multiple execution methods available to ensure the readiness for lawful executions even if specific drugs are not accessible.
This surge in federal executions contrasts with the Biden administration’s moratorium on federal executions and the absence of federal executions during President Barack Obama’s tenure.
