The US Army is gearing up for the potential execution of four individuals under orders from President Donald Trump, as per an internal planning document disclosed to ABC News.
This initiative, dubbed “Operation Resolute Justice,” would mark the first military execution of convicted American prisoners in over 50 years. The strategy 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 carried out non-military federal executions during Trump’s first term at the Terre Haute facility, the military has not executed a service member since 1961. Army spokesperson Cynthia Smith emphasized that the Army regularly conducts planning exercises for executions in anticipation of potential directives from the White House.
Smith clarified that operational drills related to this operation have been ongoing for two decades as part of standard preparation in case the president approves a death sentence. However, there has been no official order from the president as of now, according to ABC News.
While military courts can issue death sentences, presidential authorization is crucial before executions can proceed. The White House has not responded to requests for comments from ABC. Internally, the Army has directed various divisions to be ready to facilitate executions within 150 days of presidential approval of the death penalties.
Detailed schedules for progress meetings and execution protocols are outlined in the instructions should Trump green-light the executions. The guidance also addresses how the Army would manage public announcements regarding an execution.
Under Trump’s administration, federal executions of death row inmates nearly doubled. In April, the Department of Justice, under Trump, directed federal prisons to expand the array of execution methods to include firing squads, gas asphyxiation, and electrocution.
The department’s 48-page memo argued that diversifying execution methods would bolster the death penalty by deterring heinous crimes, delivering justice to victims, and offering closure to grieving families. Additionally, they stated that broadening the methods of capital punishment would ensure the department’s readiness for lawful executions even in cases where specific drugs are unavailable.
Following the Biden administration’s moratorium on federal executions, there was a significant surge in federal executions after a period with no federal executions during President Barack Obama’s tenure.