A Mexican Mafia hit man convicted of beating and strangling a San Antonio woman because she didn't pay the gang's 10 per cent tax on her illegal drug sales was executed Wednesday evening. The injection of Manuel Vasquez with a lethal dose of pentobarbital leaves Texas with enough of the powerful sedative to carry out only one more execution. Vasquez was the fourth Texas inmate put to death this year, and at least six are scheduled for execution in the coming weeks. Texas prison officials, like those in other death penalty states, have found it increasingly difficult to find suppliers to provide drugs intended for capital punishment use. Scroll down for video . Put to death: Gang enforcer Manuel Vasquez, 46, was executed Wednesday for the ordered murder of a San Antonio woman who ignored a 10 per cent street tax on drugs known as a 'dime' Vasquez, 46, was pronounced dead at 6.32pm CDT, 17 minutes after the drug began being administered. Vasquez, in a final statement, told his family and friends he loved them and thanked 'the Lord for his kind mercy, faithfulness and unconditional love.' 'In Jesus' name I pray,' he said, then told the warden: 'I'm ready.' He took three deep breaths, then began snoring loudly. The snores became progressively quiet, and all movement stopped within less than a minute. The sister of his victim was among witnesses watching through a window. He never looked at her. His own sister and a female friend cried as they watched in an adjacent room. Vasquez's lawyers filed no late appeals to delay his execution for the 1998 slaying of 51-year-old Juanita Ybarra. Evidence at Vasquez's 1999 capital murder trial showed he and two other men were carrying out orders to kill 51-year-old Juanita Ybarra for ignoring the Mexican Mafia's 10 per cent street tax on drugs — known as a 'dime.' 'I'm sure she was told if you're selling, you've got to pay the tax,' said Mary Green, an assistant Bexar County district attorney who prosecuted Vasquez. 'I guess she didn't take it seriously.' After a night of drinking and drugs at a run-down San Antonio motel, Vasquez and two companions put on bandannas on their facesbarged into the nearby room of Ybarra and her boyfriend, Moses Bazan, early on March 19, 1998, according to evidence presented at his trial. Bazan was knocked out in an ensuing struggle but said he saw Ybarra being beaten, heard Vasquez holler that she was biting him and saw Vasquez using a telephone cord to strangle Ybarra. The attackers grabbed valuables like cameras and jewelry, stuffed them into a pillowcase and fled. When Bazan regained consciousness, he stumbled to the motel office to summon police. He was able to identify at least one of the attackers, leading to the arrest of all three. One of them, Johnny Joe Cruz, took a plea deal that carried a seven-year sentence and testified against Vasquez. The third man charged, Oligario Lujan, is serving a 35-year prison term. Court records show the three were carrying out orders from Mexican Mafia boss Rene Munoz, who spent years on the Texas Department of Public Safety's 10 Most Wanted List until his arrest in 2012. Joel Perez, Vasquez's lead trial lawyer, recalled last week that the motive for the slaying was 'very detrimental'. 'We have the Texas Mexican Mafia, and anyone selling drugs they collect a dime - 10 percent,' he said. 'And the motive in this case was she wasn't paying.' Detectives also found the blood of the victims and Vasquez's blood on clothing left in the trunk of a car he used. 'It put him at the scene when he denied being around there,' Mary Green, an assistant Bexar County district attorney who prosecuted Vasquez, said. The lethal injection of Manuel Vasquez on Wednesday evening at Huntsville prison in Texas would leave T officials in the nation's most active death penalty state with enough pentobarbital to carry out only one more execution until they are able to obtain a new supply . 'I recall he was an extremely violent individual. In the punishment phase we proved up two other homicides he'd been involved with.' Vasquez had a lengthy record and had been in and out of prison at least twice. One conviction involved the beating of a man who died after his body was set on fire. Records also show Vasquez' father is serving a life sentence for a 1976 murder, and a brother and cousins are or have been in prison. Texas' next execution is scheduled for next week. Randall Mays is set to die for a 2007 shootout where two East Texas sheriff's deputies were killed. Executions set for April in the nation's most active death penalty state will require a new lethal drug supply to be carried out. Some states have started considering other options. Utah's Legislature gave final approval Tuesday night to a proposal to allow executions by firing squad if there is a drug shortage. Legislation to allow firing squads also has been introduced in Arkansas, while a Wyoming firing-squad measure failed. In Oklahoma, lawmakers are considering legislation that would allow the state to use nitrogen gas to execute inmates. 'I remain optimistic we'll be able to carry out executions according to the schedule,' Brad Livingston, executive director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, has told The Associated Press. 'Time will tell.' Vasquez' execution is the 522nd in Texas since the state reinstated capital punishment in 1976.
Manuel Vasquez, 46, was injected with lethal dose of pentobarbital for carrying out orders to kill 51-year-old Juanita Ybarra in San Antonio, Texas . Ybarra ignored the Mexican Mafia's 10 per cent street tax on drugs - known as a 'dime'
Vasquez was pronounced dead at 6.32pm CDT, 17 minutes after the drug began being administered . The death row inmate thanked 'the Lord for his kind mercy, faithfulness and unconditional love'
After telling warden, I'm ready,' he took three deep breaths, then began snoring loudly .