DEA agents in Texas made a significant discovery during a recent drug bust. They uncovered 11 pounds of a unique substance that is typically used as a sedative in euthanasia procedures. This drug was being trafficked by individuals associated with a cartel-linked illicit drug operation.
According to a spokesperson from the DEA, the dealers were promoting pentobarbital, a short-acting barbiturate, as heroin. In the course of a multi-year investigation, law enforcement agents seized larger quantities of other illicit 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 highlighted that the seizure of pentobarbital was considered “uncommon” and “unique.”
According to a drug expert interviewed by The Center Square, he expresses his concern and hopes that the mentioned situation does not become a widespread trend.
Federal officials have revealed that a drug ring, operating in the Houston and Galveston areas, was under the control of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. However, the impact of this group extended beyond these regions, with their products making their way to New Orleans, Pensacola, Atlanta, Nashville, and Chicago.
According to Dr. Bruce Goldberger, chief of the Division of Forensic Medicine at the University of Florida, pentobarbital is not commonly utilized in medical settings except for in the intensive care unit.
According to the expert, he stated that pentobarbital is a powerful barbiturate with a rapid onset of action. In modern medicine, its usage in humans is limited to treating persistent intracranial hypertension in the ICU as an anesthetic. However, other drugs that are both more effective and safer have now taken its place.
“I really hope this isn’t becoming a trend,” Goldberger expressed his concern.
Pentobarbital has multiple applications, including its use in animal euthanasia, assisted suicide, and certain U.S. executions. In 2021, the American Veterinary Medical Association addressed a shortage of the drug by providing alternative options to its members. A recent article published in the peer-reviewed journal “Animals” in 2022 highlighted that pentobarbital sodium is the preferred drug for euthanizing companion animals in both the United States and Canada.
The drug has also found its use in executions and assisted suicides. In the past, most U.S. executions relied on a three-drug cocktail, but due to the increasing difficulty in obtaining these drugs, several states opted for a single drug: Pentobarbital. When former U.S. Attorney General William Barr reinstated the death penalty in 2019, the Federal Bureau of Prisons intended to use pentobarbital, as reported by The BMJ, a renowned medical journal, and federal records.
In a previous incident, pentobarbital was discovered in a smuggling operation, similar to the recent Texas bust. Back in 2019, a U.S. Coast Guard team intercepted a boat off the coast of Oregon. The individual operating the vessel, known as the “Mandalay,” was found to be under the influence of drugs. As a result, he was transported to the hospital for medical assistance. During his treatment, the man admitted to consuming a significant quantity of what he believed to be fentanyl. However, despite the administration of naloxone, an opioid reversal agent, on 15 occasions, the man failed to respond. Fortunately, he survived the incident. Court records later revealed that the substance he had ingested was actually pentobarbital.
According to court records and Coast Guard reports, the Coast Guard personnel made a discovery of 28 seven-gallon jugs filled with liquid methamphetamine. They also found bricks of pentobarbital that were wrapped in plastic.
