State Department Warns Americans of Tainted Mexican Alcohol

The United States Department of State issued a travel warning Wednesday urging citizens traveling to Mexico to be wary of Alcoholic drinks.

The State Department’s “Safety and Security” section on Mexico was updated with a concern about tainted drinks.

Alcohol: There have been allegations that consumption of  tainted or substandard alcohol has resulted in illness or blacking out. If you choose to drink alcohol, it is important to do so in moderation and to stop and seek medical attention if you begin to feel ill.

The warning comes after an investigative report was launched into the suspicious death of Abbey Conner who died after consuming drinks at the Iberostar Paraiso del Mar luxury resort in Mexico.

Abbey and her brother, Austin, were found unresponsive in a pool at the resort. Austin said they had been drinking but not near enough for them to both suddenly pass out and drown in the shallow end of a pool.

According to the report, many others have reported passing out after just a few drinks.

The new State Department travel alert cautions people to drink in moderation, but many told the Journal Sentinel they had only a drink or two before losing consciousness and waking up hours later — with no recollection of how they got back to their rooms or to the hospital, or how they were injured.

The issue may be related to Mexico’s illegal alcohol trade. A report from Mexico’s Tax Administration Service found that 43% of all alcohol consumed in Mexico is produced illegally and in unregulated facilities which could lead to tainted products or products with unknown alcohol content.

It is difficult to know how many of the 39 drowning deaths of Americans in Mexico are due to the alcohol issue as the U.S. Department of State does not track how often citizens are drugged or injured and the State Department’s death reports have little detail in them.