As we discussed before, there has been a challenge to the use of drugs purchased overseas in executions undertaken by various states.  (Specifically, the use of sodium thiopental purchased by Georgia from a questionable British supplier.)

However, news this week has it that in response, the federal government has been going around and grabbing up all the sodium thiopental in the country.  Apparently, the DEA is going state to state and confiscating any sodium thiopental in their inventories.  Wow.

According to Fox News, this has been going on for the past 60 days or so – and it’s leaving states with the option of putting a hold on executions or opting for alternative drugs.  Like pentobarbital, which we’ve discussed before is the same drug used by vets to euthanize pets.

Fox New reports that the DEA began in Georgia, in March.  Next up: Tennessee and Kentucky.  The Wall Street Journal reveals that Alabama turned theirs over to the DEA in the last week of April. 

Now, the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) is part of the U.S. Department of Justice, helmed by Attorney General Eric Holder.  The number one prosecutor for the federal government. 

So, a prosecutor is pulling sodium thiopental from execution facilities and leaving the executioners to their own devices – find other ways to carry out the death sentence or freeze the execution schedule. 

It gets even more bizarre. 

As Human Events points out, the DEA is going around grabbing up a drug approved by the FDA to be used in a procedure sanctioned by the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Here’s a question:  When is someone in the federal government going to do something about the growing use of pentobarbital in executions? 

Pentobarbital, which hasn’t been vetted for use on humans. Pentobarbital, which has been okayed for use on humans by the Supreme Court.