DEA Seizes Georgia’s Sodium Thiopental

By Susan J. Matthees –

A new development in the ongoing battle involving sodium thiopental, one of the drugs used for lethal injections, surfaced today when the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) seized Georgia’s supply of the drug.  According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a DEA spokesperson confirmed that the drug had been seized and stated that “[t]here were questions about the way the drugs were imported.”  DEA did not make any further statements.

As we reported two weeks ago, attorney John Bentivoglio sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder alleging that Georgia violated the Controlled Substances Act by importing sodium thiopental.  Inmates in 3 other states have sued FDA over the allegedly illegal importation of the drug from Europe.