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The family of a Texas teen is taking legal action after her sudden death – and they’re pointing to energy drinks as a key factor.

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According to People, the family of 17-year-old Larissa Nicole Rodriguez has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the distributors of Alani Nu energy drinks and Glazer’s Beer and Beverage in Hidalgo County District Court.

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At a press conference on Wednesday, family lawyer Benny Agosto Jr. said the Hidalgo County Medical Examiner found Larissa died in October 2025 from “an enlarged heart due to stress and large amounts of caffeine.”

This wasn’t about a single drink, but a pattern over time

“The medical examiner did not say in her report that she died because she drank caffeine that day,” Agosto said, per Fox 8. “It’s because of the continuous drinking of caffeine.”

The lawsuit claims that Alani Nu drinks contain 200 ml of caffeine per 12-ounce can – about 16.67 ml per ounce – which is higher than many soft drinks and even some competing energy drinks, Newsweek says.

Agosto argues Larissa had been drinking at least one can a day in the year leading up to her death, influenced in part by social media posts promoting the drink’s supposed health benefits and energy boost, according to NBC News and Fox 8.

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Product didn’t properly warn consumers about potential heart risks: Lawyer

The Alani Nu energy drinks “had inadequate warnings about the serious cardiac risks that this product brings,” Agosto alleged, per NBC News.

While the cans do include a label saying the drinks aren’t recommended for children, the lawsuit – which seeks $1 million in damages – alleges they were still marketed and distributed without clearly spelling out the dangers of excessive caffeine use, according to NBC News, Fox 8 and the San Antonio Express-News.

Larissa’s mother echoed that frustration

“There’s no warnings, there’s nothing on there that says, ‘Hey, if you drink this, you’re going to be overstimulating your heart,’” Jennifer Rodriguez said, per Fox 8.

Agosto added that the medical examiner found no drugs or alcohol in Larissa’s system, and said there was no known family history of heart problems.

Larissa, a senior at Weslaco High School in Texas, was also co-captain of the varsity cheer team, according to an obituary cited by Newsweek.

She was remembered by her lawyer as someone who had everything ahead of her.

“(She was) full of life, full of love, smart, academic and with a bright future,” Agosto said, per NBC News.

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