US government authorizes firing squad and resumes lethal injection in federal executions

Departamento of Justiça of Estados Unidos announced this Friday the inclusion of the firing squad among the methods allowed for executions in death penalty cases at the federal level. The measure also foresees the return of lethal injection and the possibility of other procedures already adopted in some states, such as gas asphyxiation and electrocution. The decision complies with President Donald Trump’s guidance to speed up the application of capital sentences.

Federal guidance serves as a parameter, as the death penalty in Estados Unidos is decentralized. Cada state defines the authorized methods and pace of executions. Departamento’s statement criticizes previous analyzes that had led to restrictions on the use of lethal injection and argues that the new protocols guarantee constitutional options even when specific medications are lacking.

Mudança reverses previous management guidance

The current administration resumes the lethal injection protocol used between 2017 and 2021. Naquele period, 13 federal convicts were executed by this method after a two-decade hiatus.

The Biden government had imposed a moratorium and commuted the sentences of 37 inmates on federal death row. Apenas three executions took place during his tenure. Agora, Departamento of Justiça instructs Bureau of Prisões to expand the protocol to include alternatives already provided for in state laws.

Attorney General Todd Blanche directed the inclusion of additional methods to avoid interruptions due to lack of inputs. The measure seeks to prepare the system to carry out sentences after exhaustion of judicial resources.

Additional Métodos already tested at state level

Alguns states already resort to options beyond lethal injection. In 2025, a man was executed by firing squad in Carolina of Sul due to a shortage of medicines.

In 2024, Alabama first applied nitrogen gas asphyxiation in a federally relevant case. The method generated debates about suffering, but local authorities defended it as a viable alternative.

The federal statement explicitly lists:

Leia Também

Does Calleri play today? Where to watch São Paulo x Mirassol today at 9pm for the Brazilian Championship

Where to watch São Paulo x Mirassol today at 9pm for the Brazilian Championship

Botafogo x Internacional at Mané Garrincha for the 13th round of the Brasileirão: lineups and where to watch live

• Pelotão firing
• Asfixia with nitrogen gas
• Eletrocussão, or electric shock

Essas alternatives follow standards already authorized in state legislation and aim to guarantee execution when lethal injection faces logistical obstacles.

Contexto of the death penalty in the USA

Capital punishment exists at the federal and state level in Estados Unidos, one of 55 countries that maintain it. The number of executions varies depending on the state and political moment.

In the federal system, Terre Haute Correctional Complex, in Indiana, concentrates facilities for those sentenced to death. Atualmente, few inmates are awaiting execution at the federal level following commutations from the previous administration.

Estados like Utah, Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Carolina of Sul allow shooting in their laws. The method consists of shooters positioned at close range, with a real cartridge and other blanks to preserve the identity of the executioners.

Reações and next steps

The determination does not immediately change the execution schedule, as each case depends on court decisions. Justiça’s Departamento emphasizes that the focus is on serious crimes, with priority given to law enforcement killings and certain violent felonies.

Federal Autoridades highlight that the changes simplify internal processes and prepare the system to resume executions in a more consistent manner. The announcement comes amid national discussions on the topic, with positions divided between states that maintain the death penalty and others that have abolished it.

The statement reinforces that the measures aim to provide closure for families of victims of barbaric crimes, without going into details about specific ongoing cases.