The family of a 17-year-old high school cheerleader has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the distributor of Alani Nu energy drinks, claiming the teenager died from an enlarged heart caused by consuming large amounts of caffeine.
Larissa Nicole Rodriguez, a college-bound student in Weslaco, died in October. Her family’s attorney, Benny Agosto Jr., said at a news conference Wednesday that the Hidalgo County medical examiner ruled her cause of death “was an enlarged heart due to stress and large amounts of caffeine,” NBC 5 DFW reported.
Agosto said Rodriguez had no pre-existing heart conditions. The medical examiner tested for myriad drugs, he added, and “everything was negative, not one trace of alcohol or anything. The only thing she had in her system was caffeine.”
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Hidalgo County District Court, names distributors Glazer’s Beer and Beverage and Glazer’s Beer and Beverage of Texas. It alleges Alani Nu energy drinks “had inadequate warnings about the serious cardiac risks that this product brings” and seeks more than $1 million in damages.
Rodriguez was an active teenager who played tennis and cheered. Agosto described her as “full of life, full of love, smart, academic and with a bright future.”
“Her life was cut short,” he said, surrounded by her parents and other relatives at the news conference.
The suit claims Rodriguez drank Alani Nu often after seeing social media posts promoting it for wellness and energy benefits. In the last year, she consumed at least one can a day, sometimes more, including before school and during sports activities, Agosto said.
“First, she got into it because of social media and other social interaction with young people. At some point, she was enamored by it,” he said.
The lawsuit alleges the drink targets young women and minors through social media as a wellness and lifestyle beverage but lacks proper warnings, including consumption limits and possible dangers.
A school homecoming invitation even featured an image of the product, saying, “Hope you have the energy to go to homecoming with me.”Agosto said Rodriguez was “fooled that this drink is not a wellness drink, it’s not a get-well drink. … It’s causing problems to her heart, which ultimately took her life.”
Each 12-ounce Alani Nu can contains 200 milligrams of caffeine — the same as a comparable Celsius drink. Federal guidelines recommend no more than 400 milligrams daily for healthy adults and less than 100 milligrams for children and teenagers ages 12 to 17. The drink has a higher caffeine concentration per ounce than an 8.4-ounce Red Bull (80 milligrams) or a 17-ounce Monster (160 milligrams), according to labels.
The family is not suing Celsius Inc., which owns Alani Nu after completing its $1.8 billion acquisition in April 2025. Celsius said in a statement that it is “saddened by this loss, and our thoughts are with the family. We take product safety seriously and believe consumers should have clear information about what they are drinking.”
“Alani Nu energy drinks disclose 200mg of caffeine on the can, and the label states the product is not recommended for children, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant women, or women who are nursing,” the statement said. “Our products comply with applicable federal labeling requirements, and our policy is not to market or sample to anyone under 18, consistent with those label warnings.”
Glazer’s Beer and Beverage, which distributes in six states, including Texas, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Agosto said the distributor was sued because “they’re the ones that receive it, distribute it, and put it all over the place, and they also fail to give any warnings.” He added that more defendants could be named as the case proceeds.
The family hopes the lawsuit will spur changes in the industry.
“They lost their only daughter. She was two months from 18,” Agosto said. “What ultimately they want is that this doesn’t happen to a single child. If they can save one life, that’s what they want. If they can change the industry so that there’s better protections and warnings for kids, that’s what they want.”
In 2023, the Canadian government recalled Alani Nu over issues with caffeine content and labeling. Hidalgo County did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the medical examiner’s findings.
