A small Texas town experiences a certain kind of silence when an adolescent fails to return home. When Larissa Nicole Rodriguez, a 17-year-old cheerleader who was described by her family’s lawyer as “full of life, full of love, smart, academic, and with a bright future,” passed away in October 2025 from what the Hidalgo County Medical Examiner would later determine was cardiomyopathy brought on by excessive caffeine consumption, there was silence in Weslaco, a city tucked up against the southern edge of Texas near the Rio Grande Valley. According to her family, Alani Nu, an energy drink, was crucial.
Alani Nu Energy Drinks and Glazer’s Beer and Beverage, the Texas retailer that allegedly sold Rodriguez the drinks, are named as defendants in the wrongful death lawsuit that was filed in Hidalgo County District Court on April 8, 2026. According to the lawsuit, Rodriguez drank one or more Alani Nu energy drinks on or around October 20, 2025, and in the days preceding her passing. There are 200 mg of caffeine in each 12-fluid-ounce can. That’s almost six times the amount of caffeine found in a typical Coca-Cola can. According to the lawsuit, she was never adequately informed about the potential harm that such consumption could cause to a teen’s heart.
The nature of the product itself is what sets this case apart from the usual product liability filing. Alani Nu doesn’t appear to be a threat. Perhaps that’s the point. The cans are labeled “Cosmic Stardust,” “Cherry Slush,” and “Hawaiian Shaved Ice.” They are available in pastel colors, such as gentle pinks and lilacs. B vitamins, zero sugar, and a “natural glow” are some of the wellness-related terms used in the branding. It is positioned more like something you would find at a small yoga studio than as a stimulant. According to the lawsuit, this aesthetic was “deliberately” created to make it difficult for young women and minors to distinguish between a harmless lifestyle drink and a caffeinated stimulant.
The tension in that marketing approach is difficult to ignore. Before extreme sports, energy drinks have spent years attempting to dispel the perception that they are something reckless teenagers slam. With its wellness-adjacent energy drink, Alani Nu effectively created a new market niche for young women who frequent the gym and browse TikTok. The outcome was huge commercial success and, it seems, a product that ended up in the hands of a 17-year-old cheerleader who, according to the lawsuit, had no way of knowing how much caffeine she was consuming.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Company Name | Alani Nu (Alani Nutrition) |
| Parent Company | Celsius Inc. (acquired April 2025) |
| Product Type | Energy Drink |
| Caffeine Content (U.S.) | 200 mg per 12-fl-oz can |
| Caffeine Content (Canada) | 140 mg per can |
| Founded | 2018 |
| Headquarters | Louisville, Kentucky, USA |
| Target Demographic | Young women, wellness-focused consumers |
| Lawsuit Type | Wrongful Death / Product Liability |
| Plaintiff | Family of Larissa Nicole Rodriguez |
| Defendant(s) | Alani Nu Energy Drinks; Glazer’s Beer and Beverage (Texas retailer) |
| Filing Court | Hidalgo County District Court, Texas |
| Date Filed | April 8, 2026 |
| Damages Sought | More than US$1 million |
| Victim | Larissa Nicole Rodriguez, 17, Weslaco, Texas |
| Date of Death | October 2025 |
| Cause of Death (Medical Examiner) | Cardiomyopathy caused by excessive caffeine consumption |
At a press conference, Rodriguez’s family’s legal team, led by lawyer Benny Agosto Jr., noted that the Alani Nu can’s sole warning, “Not recommended for children under 18, those sensitive to caffeine, pregnant or nursing women,” is written in tiny, unnoticeable text on the back label. According to the lawsuit, there is no reference to cardiomyopathy, cardiac arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, or death in the warning. There is no daily consumption cap. There is no advice regarding the specific risks associated with multiple cans. That seems like a big omission for a product that has twice the amount of caffeine per day that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends for teenagers.
The business that purchased Alani Nu in April 2025, Celsius Inc., said in a statement that it is “saddened by this loss” and that Alani Nu’s goods “comply with applicable federal labeling requirements.” The business stated that marketing or sampling to individuals under the age of eighteen is prohibited. Since the acquisition took place after the relevant events, Celsius itself is not listed as a defendant in the lawsuit. Even so, the brand is now under their control, and the investigation is not likely to be limited to a single court document.
This is not an isolated case. The lawsuit itself is directly related to Panera Bread’s “Charged Lemonade” lawsuit, in which the families of people who passed away after drinking the chain’s highly caffeinated drinks filed a lawsuit due to insufficient labeling. In May 2024, Panera finally discontinued the product. Additionally, there is the more general issue of inconsistent regulations: in August 2023, the Food Inspection Agency of Canada issued a safety warning for Alani Nu due to non-compliant caffeine content and labeling, advising Canadians not to use or distribute the product. The United States has not taken any comparable action. This is specifically framed in the lawsuit as a “regulatory gap” that Alani Nu allegedly took advantage of.
For years, the American medical establishment has maintained a consistent stance on this issue. Energy drinks should not be consumed by children and adolescents, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and the American College of Sports Medicine. Federal regulation has not resulted from this consensus. It’s still unclear if the FDA or lawmakers will be persuaded to impose stricter labeling regulations on caffeinated beverages marketed to youth by this lawsuit or the publicity surrounding it.
The cost to a single Weslaco family is clear. Rodriguez’s parents claim that their daughter endured emotional and physical suffering prior to her passing, and her estate has had to pay for funeral and medical costs. They want damages of over $1 million. The image of a teenage girl reaching into a gas station cooler and grabbing something in a pretty can that appeared to be perfectly safe based on all of her visual cues, however, is something that money can’t really address.
As this is happening in real time, it seems like the energy drink industry is getting close to a point where it can’t just use branding to get out of it. The candy-flavored names and pastel cans are excellent marketing tools. In a wrongful death case, they are less effective as a defense. The age of Larissa Rodriguez was seventeen. According to all accounts, she had a long life ahead of her. And something went horribly wrong somewhere between the cheerleading practice and the vividly colored can.
