Texas Prisons Out of Execution Drugs

Texas prison officials announced Monday their supply of execution drugs is expected to run out after two lethal injections are carried out in the next two weeks. Lethal injections for Manuel Vasquez on Wednesday and Randal Mays on March 18 will leave the Texas prison agency without enough pentobarbital for four more executions in April. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice didn’t comment on why a compounding pharmacy that supplied it last year is unable to do so again. Last March, the state switched sources after a previous supplier ended a contract when its name was revealed by an open records request from the Associated Press. A state judge last year ruled the prison agency had to reveal its source, but the order is on hold pending outcome of a state appeal. It’s unclear if the current supplier cut ties or last year’s ruling has made it difficult in finding a source.