Viral Energy Drink Lawsuit Over Teen’s Death: Claims and Probe

The parents of Larissa Rodriguez, a 17-year-old Weslaco High School cheerleader who died in October 2025, have filed a wrongful death lawsuit tied to Alani Nu energy drinks, alleging that daily consumption of the 200-milligram-caffeine beverage caused the enlarged heart that killed their daughter. The suit, filed in Hidalgo County District Court on April 8, 2026, seeks more than $1 million from the Texas distributor that supplied the drinks to local H-E-B stores.¹

What Happened to Larissa Rodriguez

Rodriguez was a senior at Weslaco High School in the Rio Grande Valley, ranked in the top five percent of her class, and had been accepted to the University of Texas at Austin, where she planned to study law.² She had no known pre-existing heart conditions. She died on October 20, 2025, two months before her eighteenth birthday.¹

The Hidalgo County medical examiner ran extensive toxicology testing. The results were negative for drugs and alcohol. The only substance found in excess was caffeine. The examiner determined the cause of death was cardiomyopathy — a condition in which the heart muscle becomes enlarged and struggles to pump blood — caused by excessive caffeine consumption.³ According to the family’s court filings, Rodriguez was an “Alani follower” who consumed the drink daily during the last year of her life, sometimes two or three times a day.

What the Lawsuit Claims

Rodriguez’s mother, Alicia Rodriguez, and father, Roberto Rodriguez Jr., filed the wrongful death suit on April 8, 2026. The petition rests on three interlocking claims: that Alani Nu is dangerously formulated, that it is inadequately labeled, and that it is marketed in a way calculated to reach minors.

On formulation, the suit points to the 200 milligrams of caffeine in each 12-ounce can, double the 100-milligram daily limit that Johns Hopkins Medicine recommends for adolescents.³ The American Academy of Pediatrics sets the same 100-milligram ceiling for ages 12 to 18.⁴ The complaint also alleges the drinks contain undisclosed amounts of taurine, L-theanine, and guarana seed extract that compound cardiac risks.

On labeling, the family argues that the existing warning on the can — “Not recommended for children, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant women or women who are nursing” — appears in “small, inconspicuous text” that is “wholly inadequate” given the caffeine load.³

On marketing, the suit alleges Alani Nu made a “concerted effort to go after young people” by recruiting minors as social media influencers and presenting the product as a wellness and lifestyle drink rather than a high-caffeine beverage.² The brand was launched in 2018 by fitness influencer Katy Hearn and her husband Haydn Schneider and grew through celebrity partnerships and social-media-friendly pastel cans. It reached $1 billion in retail sales in 2025, the year Celsius Holdings acquired it for $1.8 billion.⁵

The petition presents causes of action for manufacturing and design defects, marketing defects, and failure to provide adequate warnings, and seeks more than $1 million in damages.⁶

Who Was Sued, and Who Wasn’t

The defendants named in the initial petition are Glazer’s Beer and Beverage LLC and Glazer’s Beer and Beverage of Texas LLC, the Dallas-based companies that distribute Alani Nu to Rio Grande Valley retailers, including the H-E-B stores where Rodriguez bought the drinks.⁷

Neither Alani Nutrition LLC, the manufacturer, nor Celsius Holdings, its parent since April 2025, was named in the original filing. The Rodriguez family is represented by Houston firm Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner, with attorney Benny Agosto Jr. leading the case. According to reporting by Texas Lawyer, the firm plans to add Alani Nutrition LLC, Congo Brands, and Celsius Holdings as defendants as discovery proceeds.⁸ At an April 8 press conference at the Hidalgo County Courthouse, Agosto said: “We have facts. We have evidence. We have experts that will be able to prove this case.”⁹

How the Defendants Have Responded

Glazer’s Beer and Beverage of Texas filed its original answer on May 22, 2026, in Hidalgo County’s 370th District Court, denying “each and every allegation.”¹⁰ The company argues that as a distributor it neither manufactures nor markets the drink, that adequate warnings already appear on the product, that Rodriguez’s own negligence contributed to her death, and that “superseding causes” beyond the distributor’s control were responsible.⁷ Glazer’s also accused the family of naming a local distributor as the sole defendant to defeat federal diversity jurisdiction, which would apply if the out-of-state manufacturer were included.

In June 2026, Glazer’s filed a formal motion to dismiss. As of early June 2026, a judge had not ruled on that motion, and the Rodriguez family announced plans to file an amended petition.¹¹

Celsius Holdings, which is not currently a defendant, provided a statement to NBC News saying: “We are 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.”¹ The company said Alani Nu labels disclose the 200-milligram caffeine content and include the not-recommended-for-children advisory, and that its policy is “not to market or sample to anyone under 18.”¹²

The Texas Attorney General Investigation

Separate from the civil case, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on June 4, 2026, an investigation into Celsius Holdings and its subsidiary Alani Nutrition LLC for possible violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.¹³ The review focuses on whether Alani Nu’s colorful packaging and playful design amount to youth-oriented branding that misleads consumers about the product’s safety for children and teens, without adequate warnings about age or heart-health risks. Celsius denied the allegations and said it would cooperate, again citing federal labeling compliance and its stated policy against marketing to anyone under 18.¹⁴

Why the Caffeine Levels Are at the Center of the Case

The lawsuit’s factual core is a single number: 200 milligrams of caffeine in one 12-ounce can. That is twice the daily limit the American Academy of Pediatrics and Johns Hopkins Medicine set for adolescents.⁴ A 2024 review in The Journal of Pediatrics found that nearly half of all adverse health events related to energy drinks in children and adolescents involve the cardiovascular system, including chest pain, dangerous heart rhythms, and sudden cardiac arrest.¹⁵

The caffeine level had already drawn regulatory attention outside the United States. In August 2023, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency issued a Class 2 recall of Alani Nu energy drinks for exceeding Canada’s 180-milligram caffeine limit and failing to meet bilingual labeling requirements.¹⁶

Where the Case Stands

The wrongful death lawsuit remains in its early stages in Hidalgo County District Court. Glazer’s motion to dismiss is pending, and the Rodriguez family’s attorneys have signaled they will file an amended petition that could add Alani Nutrition LLC, Celsius Holdings, and Congo Brands as defendants.¹¹ The Texas Attorney General’s investigation into Celsius and Alani Nutrition is continuing, with no public enforcement action taken yet.¹³ No trial date has been set.

1
NBC News. Texas Teen’s Death Linked to Caffeine in Alani Nu Energy Drink, Family Alleges
2
MyRGV. Weslaco Family Grieving Teen’s Death Sue Popular Energy Drink Alani
3
KTLA. Lawsuit Filed Against Energy Drink Distributor Over Texas Cheerleader’s Death
4
Texas Health Resources. What Parents Need to Know About Caffeine, Energy Drinks, and Trendy Beverages
5
Tyrone Eagle Eye News. A Can, a Trend, and a Favorite Flavor: Students Rank Alani Nu
6
Valley Central. Parents of Weslaco Cheerleader Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Energy Drink Distributor
7
MySanAntonio. South Texas Alani Nu Death Lawsuit
8
Texas Lawyer. Death by Caffeine: Lawsuits Target Energy Drink Companies
9
NewsNation. Energy Drink Distributor Sued Over Texas Cheerleader Death
10
Valley Central. Energy Drink Distributor Denies Each and Every Allegation in Weslaco Cheerleader’s Wrongful Death Lawsuit
11
KRGV. Weslaco Cheerleader’s Family Filing Amended Wrongful Death Lawsuit
12
Valley Central. Alani Nu Responds to Weslaco Family’s Wrongful Death Suit
13
Texas Attorney General. Attorney General Ken Paxton Announces Investigation Into Celsius Energy Drink Company
14
Food Navigator USA. Texas AG Investigates Celsius, Alani Nu Over Caffeine and Youth Marketing
15
The Journal of Pediatrics. Cardiovascular Toxicity of Energy Drinks in Youth: A Call for Regulation
16
Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Various Brands Caffeinated Energy Drinks May Be Unsafe Due to Caffeine Content