Attorney General Jeff Sessions released a memo to U.S. Attorneys on Wednesday, saying he “strongly” encourages the use of the death penalty for “certain drug-related crimes.” Sessions wrote that actions to hold drug manufacturers and distributors accountable “should also include the pursuit of capital punishment in appropriate cases.” He also called for prosecutors to consider “every lawful tool at their disposal” to combat the opioid epidemic. This comes after President Donald Trump called for the U.S. to “get tough on the drug dealers” in a recent New Hampshire speech. “That toughness includes the death penalty,” he said.
