DEA agents in Texas made a significant discovery when they raided an illicit drug operation linked to a cartel. In the course of the operation, they seized 11 pounds of a unique drug – a sedative commonly utilized in euthanasia.
According to a spokesperson from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the dealers were selling pentobarbital, a short-acting barbiturate, and marketing it as heroin. During their extensive, multi-year investigation, DEA agents also seized larger quantities of other illegal drugs. These included 1,212 pounds of meth, 548 pounds of cocaine, 74 pounds of heroin, and 22,600 pills laced with fentanyl. The spokesperson noted that the seizure of pentobarbital was particularly noteworthy, as it was considered “uncommon” and “unique.”
According to a drug expert interviewed by The Center Square, he expressed his concern about the potential trend and hopes that it does not gain popularity.
According to Dr. Bruce Goldberger, a leading expert in forensic medicine at the University of Florida, pentobarbital is seldom administered in medical settings except in the intensive care unit.
According to the expert, pentobarbital is a powerful barbiturate that has a short duration of action. He also mentioned that its current usage in human medicine is limited to treating persistent intracranial hypertension in the ICU, primarily as an anesthetic. However, other drugs that are more efficient and safer have replaced its use in recent times.
Goldberger expressed his hope that the situation is not indicative of a trend.
Pentobarbital has various applications, including animal euthanasia, assisted suicide, and certain U.S. executions. In 2021, the American Veterinary Medical Association highlighted a shortage of this drug and provided alternative options to its members. A recent article published in the peer-reviewed journal “Animals” in 2022 emphasized that pentobarbital sodium is the preferred drug for euthanizing companion animals in both the United States and Canada.
Pentobarbital, a drug that has been utilized in executions and assisted suicides, has played a significant role in the field. In the United States, the traditional three-drug cocktail used for executions faced challenges in terms of availability, resulting in many states transitioning to a single drug option: Pentobarbital. Notably, when the death penalty was reinstated by former U.S. Attorney General William Barr in 2019, the Federal Bureau of Prisons intended to adopt pentobarbital for this purpose, as reported by The BMJ, a renowned medical journal, and federal records.
Pentobarbital has been discovered in smuggling operations before the recent Texas bust. In 2019, a U.S. Coast Guard team intercepted a boat off the Oregon coast. The man operating the boat, known as the “Mandalay,” was found to be under the influence of drugs and was taken to the hospital. Despite receiving multiple doses of naloxone, an opioid reversal agent, the man did not respond. However, he survived. Court records later revealed that the substance he had taken was actually pentobarbital.
During their investigation, the Coast Guard discovered a total of 28 seven-gallon jugs filled with liquid methamphetamine. Additionally, they also came across bricks of pentobarbital that were wrapped in plastic. These findings were documented in court records and official reports from the Coast Guard.