Texas Running Out Of Lethal Execution Drug

Texas is running out of its execution drug, raising concerns that two executions set for next month may be delayed.

The US state's Department of Criminal Justice said its remaining supply of pentobarbital expires in September and that no alternatives have been found.

The state - which carries out nearly half of executions in the country - has already put 11 prisoners to death this year and has at least seven more scheduled for the coming months.

Agency spokesman Jason Clark said: "We will be unable to use our current supply of pentobarbital after it expires. We are exploring all options at this time said."

Texas switched to the lethal, single-dose sedative last year after one of the drugs used in its three-drug execution process became difficult to obtain and the state's supply expired.

Other death penalty states have encountered similar problems after drug suppliers, many which are in Europe, have barred the drug's use for executions under pressure from death penalty opponents.

No executions in Texas have been delayed because of that shortfall so far.

Richard Dieter of the Death Penalty Information Center, an anti-death penalty organisation, said: "When Texas raises a flag that's it having a problem, obviously numerically it's significant around in the country because like they're doing half the executions in the country right now."

Pentobarbital, which has been used alone or along with other drugs in all executions in the US for the past two years, was more readily available because it was commonly used as a sedative.

Mr Dieter said: "But I guess restrictions have been put on its distribution.

"It's uncertain where all of this goes because it's inherently a medical kind of procedure involving some health professionals who are largely focused on keeping people alive.

"It runs into contradictions with executions - people strapped to a table. Executions aren't exactly what the medical model is."

Since 1982, Texas has executed 503 inmates. Virginia is a distant second at 110.