A South Texas beverage distributor accused of contributing to a high school cheerleader’s death by distributing the high-caffeine energy drink she enjoyed is denying all culpability and asking a judge to toss the lawsuit against it.

In new documents filed in Hidalgo County this week, Glazer’s Beer and Beverage LLC argues that the family of Larissa Rodriguez is suing the wrong company in order to avoid litigating the wrongful death lawsuit in federal court.

Glazer’s, a Dallas-based beverage distributor that maintains a regional headquarters in Weslaco, in the Rio Grande Valley, distributes Alani Nu Energy drinks to retailers throughout the region, including at the local H-E-Bs where Rodriguez shopped. Rodriguez was a popular cheerleader, beauty queen and star student at Weslaco High School who often drank Alani Nu energy drinks. But in October 2025, Rodriguez suffered “a fatal cardiac event” at the age of 17. Her family’s wrongful death lawsuit claims her death was from “cardiomyopathy caused by excessive caffeine consumption.”

However, the only defendant named in the lawsuit is Glazer’s, the company that trucks Alani to local stores. Neither the drink’s manufacturer, Alani Nu Energy, based in Louisville, Kentucky — nor its parent company, Celsius Holdings Inc., headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida — are listed as defendants. In a Monday, June 1 court filing, Glazer’s said their conspicuous absence is by design.

“Plaintiffs claim that the amount of caffeine in the Product renders it defective. But Plaintiffs have not sued Alani… Instead, in an attempt to evade federal diversity jurisdiction, Plaintiffs have sued two local defendants, which merely ‘distributed’ the product,” the motion to dismiss reads.

Glazer’s argues that the lawsuit’s attempt to foist liability for Rodriguez’s death onto the company “lack(s) a basis in fact.” To bolster its argument, Glazer’s points to the numerous times the lawsuit refers to Alani Nu as a defective and unsafe product with deceptive marketing. But, Glazer’s argues, it neither makes nor markets the drink. And late last month, Glazer’s went a step further. As part of its first official response to the wrongful death lawsuit, Glazer’s not only denied all culpability, it also argued that Rodriguez herself — and her family’s alleged negligence — contributed to her death.

“Plaintiff’s claims are barred by the doctrine of misuse or improper use which… contributed to cause the injuries and damages at issue with this case,” Glazer’s response to the lawsuit reads.

“Plaintiff’s injuries and damages, if any, were caused or contributed to by Plaintiff’s own negligence and/or fault,” it further reads. Rodriguez’s lawsuit denies she misused the product.

“We take product safety seriously and believe consumers should have clear information about what they are drinking,” the company said.

Celsius added that it does not market or provide samples of the energy drinks to anyone under 18.