CBS: Trump to target countries wrongfully detaining Americans With new executive order

The Trump administration plans to issue an executive order to establish a designation for nations that wrongfully detain U.S. citizens, a move aimed at punishing countries that hold Americans hostage or for political leverage, CBS News has learned.

Modelled on the U.S. designation for state sponsors of terrorism, the measure would give the State Department tools to penalise offending nations and potentially restrict U.S. passport use in certain regions.

Officials say the goal is to reduce American travel to high-risk countries and prompt immediate releases of those currently held.

At least 54 Americans were held hostage or wrongfully detained in 17 countries in 2024, according to the Foley Foundation. Current State Department travel advisories list 21 nations as "Do Not Travel," including Iran, Afghanistan, Russia, Venezuela, and North Korea.

The Robert Levinson Act, passed during Trump’s first term, allows the State Department to determine wrongful detention based on judicial fairness, credible evidence of innocence, or evidence that Americans are being held to extract U.S. concessions.

Levinson, a retired FBI and DEA agent, was kidnapped in Iran in 2007 and later died in custody.

His daughter, Sarah Levinson, praised the forthcoming executive order: “We have watched in horror as the practice of taking American citizens hostage as political leverage has not only escalated but run rampant by the acts of many rogue nations…This must never happen again.”

The order follows high-profile cases of Americans jailed abroad on disputed charges. Russian authorities imprisoned journalist Evan Gershkovich and Marine veteran Paul Whelan before releasing them in a 2024 prisoner swap involving Germany.

Whelan called the measure “a good start and would be a powerful deterrent if truly enforced against rogue regimes such as China and Russia,” urging the government to secure compensation for wrongfully detained citizens.

Past swaps include WNBA star Brittney Griner, freed in 2022 from a Russian prison in exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout, and teacher Marc Fogel earlier this year, exchanged for a Russian crypto fraudster.

By Aghakazim Guliyev