President Trump signed an executive order Friday establishing a designation for state sponsors of wrongful detention in a move that would allow the U.S. to punish countries that illegally detain U.S. nationals or take them hostage.

The effort, which was first reported by CBS News before Mr. Trump signed the order, is aimed at curbing the number of Americans who elect to travel to such countries, and encouraging the leaders of those countries to immediately free Americans currently held there.

Modeled after the designation of state sponsors of terrorism, the measure would provide tools - including sanctions, export controls and travel restrictions for the nationals of designated countries – for the State Department to penalize nations that use detained Americans as political leverage and

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