Biden order aims to punish captors of Americans held abroad

By ERIC TUCKER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has signed an executive order designed to impose sanctions on criminals, terrorists or government officials who hold Americans captive abroad. The order also aims to increase the flow of information to families of detained Americans. The order signed Tuesday comes as WNBA star Brittney Griner’s detention in Russia has brought increased attention to the issue. It’s unclear if the order will result in bringing home more Americans jailed in foreign countries. Senior Biden administration officials say they regard the order as an important way to raise the cost of hostage-taking. The State Department is adding a new risk indicator to warn travelers about nations where there’s elevated risk of detention.