President Joe Biden will sign an executive order Tuesday that takes aim at foreign governments and criminal organizations that wrongfully detain U.S. citizens or take them hostage.

The action comes as the president is facing pressure to be more aggressive in efforts to free detained Americans, including WNBA star Brittney Griner, who has been jailed in Russia since February on cannabis possession charges.

The order allows federal agencies to punish those responsible for wrongfully detaining or holding hostage Americans, including through financial and travel sanctions.  

The federal government also is stepping up its efforts to share information, including intelligence, with families about their loved ones’ status and the government’s attempts to secure their return. The order also tasks experts across the Biden administration with developing options and strategies to deter future hostage-taking and wrongful detentions.

“This E.O. advances the unwavering commitment of the United States to bring home Americans who are held hostage or wrongfully detained,” a White House fact sheet said.

In addition, the State Department is introducing a new risk indicator to its travel advisories. The letter “D” will warn U.S. citizens about the risk for wrongful detention by a foreign government so travelers can make better informed decisions. The State Department already uses a “K” indicator to warn of risks of kidnapping and hostage-taking.

“When Americans are taken captive abroad, we must do everything in our power to secure their release,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Tuesday. “The President, National Security Advisor (Jake) Sullivan, and I have spoken to families who are meeting the extraordinary challenge of advocating for a loved one held captive. I am grateful for their partnership, and we are all humbled by their courage.”

The White House said the executive order was developed based on “our regular communications with the families and other stakeholders who have undertaken incredible advocacy efforts on behalf of their loved ones.”

The order draws on the 2020 Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act, the White House said. The law, named after a CIA contractor who is believed to have died while in Iranian custody, bolstered U.S. government resources to bring back Americans held hostage or unlawfully detained abroad, including creating new tools to perform rescues and punish captors.

According to the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, there are more than 60 publicly disclosed wrongful detention and hostage cases involving American citizens or individuals attempting to travel to the U.S. on immigrant visas. The cases span 20 countries, including Russia and China.

In an April prisoner swap with Russia, the U.S. secured the release of former Marine Trevor Reed, who had been jailed for nearly three years after Russian authorities accused him of assaulting an officer while being driven to a police station following a night of heavy drinking.