Family Sues Distributors in Teen's Caffeine Death

The family of a 17-year-old Texas high school student has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against beverage distributors, alleging that excessive caffeine from Alani Nu energy drinks contributed to her sudden death last fall. Larissa Nicole Rodriguez, a resident of Weslaco, died on October 20, 2025, after suffering a fatal cardiac event, according to the Hidalgo County medical examiner's determination of cardiomyopathy caused by large amounts of caffeine.

Rodriguez, a high-achieving senior at Weslaco High School and co-captain of the varsity cheerleading team, had no preexisting heart conditions, her family's attorney, Benny Agosto Jr., said. Toxicology tests revealed no drugs or alcohol in her system, only caffeine. The lawsuit, filed in Hidalgo County District Court, claims she consumed at least one 12-ounce can of the drink on the day she died and regularly drank them, often at least one per day. Each can contains 200 milligrams of caffeine, double the recommended daily limit of 100 milligrams for adolescents ages 12 to 17, as set by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The suit names Glazers Beer and Beverage, LLC, and Glazers Beer and Beverage of Texas, LLC, as defendants,...