Justice Department Reinstates Firing Squads and Lethal Injections in New Execution Protocols

Fri Apr 24 2026 21:54:39 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

In a bold move, the Justice Department under the Trump administration announces the reauthorization of firing squads and single-drug lethal injections, stepping up efforts to expedite federal executions.

The Justice Department has decided to adopt firing squads as a permitted method of execution while reinstating lethal injections with pentobarbital. This decision marks a significant shift as part of a broader initiative to ramp up federal executions after a moratorium during the Biden administration. The acting Attorney General claims previous administrations failed to enforce the ultimate punishment against serious criminals, emphasizing the renewed commitment to capital punishment.

In a significant policy shift, the Justice Department under the Trump administration has announced the adoption of firing squads and the reinstatement of single-drug lethal injections using pentobarbital as permitted methods of execution. This move comes as officials look to expedite federal capital punishment cases following a hiatus implemented during the Biden administration.

The reauthorization of pentobarbital follows its use in 13 federal executions during Trump’s first term, a record high compared to previous administrations. Under President Biden, the use of this drug was removed from federal execution protocols amid concerns regarding its potential to inflict undue pain and suffering on inmates. The Biden administration notably converted 37 death sentences to life imprisonment, leading to a dramatic reduction in federal death row inmates.

“The prior administration failed in its duty to protect the American people by refusing to pursue and carry out the ultimate punishment against the most dangerous criminals, including terrorists, child murderers, and cop killers,” stated Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche in a statement. He asserted that under Trump’s leadership, the Department of Justice is recommitting to upholding the law and advocating for victims.

With the inclusion of firing squads as a method of execution, the federal government aligns with five states currently permitting this practice: Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah. This marks the first time firing squads have been formally recognized by federal execution protocols, highlighting a considerable shift in execution methods.

The pentobarbital injection method was introduced by former Attorney General Bill Barr, intended to replace a more complicated three-drug cocktail used in federal executions prior to Trump’s administration. As both administrations have navigated the complexities of lethal injection, experts have highlighted the ongoing debates concerning the ethical implications and the potential for inflicting pain during the execution process.

Among those currently on federal death row are notorious offenders including Dylann Roof, who committed the 2015 massacre at a South Carolina church, and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, one of the bombers of the 2013 Boston Marathon. These recent developments in the Justice Department's capital punishment policies signal a decisive turn towards more stringent approaches to law enforcement and punitive measures.