According to the Sentinel, Conner and her brother’s blood levels were three times over the limit that Wisconsin law considers to be impaired, even though they had only spent about two hours at the resort. A number of other people reported similar experiences to the Sentinel.
A 2017 report from Euromonitor International said up to 36% of alcohol consumed in Mexico is illegal. The alcohol seized from Kukulkan, the bar at Iberostar Paraiso Maya, was expired and unlabeled and kept in unsanitary conditions, according to the Sentinel.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Ibersotar Hotels & Resorts said: “It is important to clarify that the closure of this one bar was the result of sanitary compliance (for instance a trash container lid missing, leak from ice machine, etc.), not related to tainted alcohol allegations. We are diligently working to resolve the issues pointed by the inspector and expect another evaluation within the next several days so that this bar’s operations can be fully restored.”
Authorities also temporarily shut down Fat Tuesday, a bar located in Cancun, and took a total of 90 gallons of alcohol from both bars.
The U.S. State Department warned travelers about potential tainted or counterfeit alcohol in Mexico in July, following the Sentinel’s investigation.