Drug shortage prompts federal government to expand execution methods
Drug supply shortages drive DOJ to authorize firing squad alongside lethal injection executions.
Event / Politics
US Federal Death Penalty Changes
The Justice Department announced comprehensive changes to federal death penalty protocols on April 24, 2026, including readopting pentobarbital lethal injection and authorizing firing squad as execution methods. The changes are part of the Trump administration's effort to expand and expedite capital punishment cases after a moratorium under the Biden administration.
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2026-08-18 to 2026-11-15 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 25 Apr, 00:07 UTC
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What happened
Federal executions historically conducted at U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana
Federal executions have historically taken place at the U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana, designated as the federal execution site in the early 1990s. Male federal death row prisoners were housed in Terre Haute, while women sentenced to death federally were housed at FMC Carswell in Fort Worth, Texas.
Biden administration commuted 37 of 40 federal death sentences in December 2024
The Biden administration commuted 37 of 40 federal death sentences in December 2024, leaving three men on federal death row: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (Boston Marathon bombing), Dylann Roof (Charleston church massacre), and Robert Bowers (Pittsburgh synagogue shooting).
DOJ cites lethal injection drug shortage as reason for expanding execution methods
The Department of Justice cited difficulties obtaining lethal injection drugs as a primary reason for recommending the addition of firing squads, electrocution, and gas asphyxiation as execution options in federal cases.
Idaho becomes first state to make firing squad its primary execution method
Idaho became the first state in the United States to designate the firing squad as its primary execution method.
DOJ expands federal execution protocols to include firing squad and other methods
The U.S. Department of Justice announced it is expanding federal execution protocols to include firing squad, electrocution, and gas asphyxiation as execution methods. The department is also directing the Bureau of Prisons to study whether federal death row should be relocated, expanded, or paired with a new execution facility. This move follows President Donald Trump's 2025 executive order restoring the federal death penalty.
South Carolina executes Brad Sigmon via firing squad in first U.S. firing squad execution in 15 years
South Carolina carried out the first U.S. firing squad execution in 15 years in March 2025, when Brad Sigmon was executed after choosing that method over lethal injection and the electric chair.
Justice Department streamlines process for seeking federal death sentences
The Justice Department announced it is streamlining internal processes to expedite death penalty cases and directed the Federal Bureau of Prisons to examine relocating or expanding federal death row or constructing an additional execution facility to permit additional manners of execution.
Justice Department authorizes firing squad as federal execution method
The Justice Department announced it will adopt firing squad as a permitted method of federal execution, marking the first time the federal government has included this method in its execution protocols. The federal government previously only used lethal injection methods. Five states currently permit firing squad executions: Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah.
Justice Department readopts lethal injection with pentobarbital for federal executions
The Justice Department readopted the lethal injection protocol using pentobarbital that was utilized during the first Trump Administration. This single-drug injection method was previously removed by the Biden administration due to concerns about potential unnecessary pain and suffering. The pentobarbital protocol was originally adopted by Attorney General Bill Barr during Trump's first term to replace a three-drug mixture used in the 2000s.
Acting Attorney General authorizes death sentences for 44 defendants
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche authorized seeking death sentences against 44 defendants as part of the Trump administration's push to step up federal executions. Only three defendants remain on federal death row after President Joe Biden converted 37 death sentences to life sentences during his administration.
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States advance firing squad as primary execution method
South Carolina executed via firing squad; Idaho made it primary execution method.
Federal execution sites face operational demands under expanded protocols
Federal execution infrastructure must support expanded methods under new DOJ protocols.
Acting Attorney General authorizes death sentences for 44 defendants
Acting Attorney General authorizes death sentences for 44 federal defendants under new streamlined procedures.
Justice Department overhauls federal execution protocols with new methods
Justice Department authorizes new execution methods and streamlines federal death penalty procedures.