Sessions also encouraged attorneys to designate an opioid coordinator in every district.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a memo on Wednesday urging federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in drug trafficking cases, which was first suggested in a plan President Donald Trump put forth earlier this week to fight the opioid epidemic.
“Drug overdoses, including overdoses caused by the lethal substance fentanyl and its analogues, killed more than 64,000 Americans in 2016 and now rank as the leading cause of death for Americans under 50. In the face of all of this death, we cannot continue with business as usual,” Sessions wrote.
“I strongly encourage federal prosecutors to use these statutes, when appropriate, to aid in our continuing fight against drug trafficking and the destruction it causes in our nation,” he continued.
The memo also described other situations where the death penalty can be or has been used which include certain racketeering activities, death by firearm during a drug trafficking crime, murder in furtherance of a continuing criminal enterprise, and dealing in “extremely large” quantities of drugs.
Sessions also encouraged attorneys to designate an opioid coordinator in every district.
The memo comes just after President Trump unveiled an aggressive three-prong policy plan to curb the opioid crisis on Monday, focusing on increased prevention and education, accessible treatment and recovery options and enhanced drug interdiction.
“Whether you are a dealer or doctor or trafficker or a manufacturer, if you break the law, and illegally peddle these deadly poisons, we will find you, we will arrest you, and we will hold you accountable,” Trump said at an event dedicated to discussing ways to fight the crisis.
“If we don’t get tough on the drug dealers, we’re wasting our time…and that toughness includes the death penalty,” he continued.
It is not yet clear when the new policies will be put into full effect, though the administration has repeatedly emphasized its commitment to ending opioid addiction within the U. S.
