topic Re: FBI Testing Alcohol from Minibars in DR and the Blood of Three Dead Visitors in Community Chat

FBI Testing Alcohol from Minibars in DR and the Blood of Three Dead Visitors

golding76 — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 02:48:38 GMT

FBI testing minibar samples at Dominican Republic resort: report

June 19, 2019 | 9:24pm | Updated

The FBI is reportedly analyzing alcohol samples from at least one minibar at the popular Bahia Príncipe resort in the Dominican Republic to see if hotel booze is, in fact, to blame for the country’s recent string of tourist deaths.

Ministry of Health communications director Carlos Suero told CNN on Wednesday that toxicology tests were being run on the samples to see if there’s anything out of the ordinary.

The FBI’s involvement in the case was announced last week — with law enforcement sources telling The Post that agents were collecting blood samplesfrom those who have died under mysterious circumstances.

Officials are trying to figure out whether the victims drank the resort liquor before their deaths, and if the drinks had any dangerous chemicals in them, the sources said.

Suero told CNN that the FBI was comparing the minibar samples to blood from at least three of the nine Americans who have died in the DR over the past year. The results are expected to take up to 30 days.

The victims that federal agents chose to analyze were all found dead in their rooms at the Bahia Príncipe Hotel in La Romana back in May, according to Suero.

Miranda Schaup-Werner, a 41-year-old from Pennsylvania, collapsed and died after allegedly having a drink from her hotel room’s minibar.

Nathaniel Holmes, 63, and Cynthia Ann Day, 49, were discovered in their room days later — with no signs of violence or foul play.

Their deaths came nearly a year after Philadelphia resident Yvette Monique Short, 51, died suddenly while staying at the Bahia Príncipe. Her sister claims that she drank from the minibar, went to bed and never woke up.

A Colorado couple is suing the hotel’s owners, claiming that they got sick at the hotelbut managed to survive.

“I honestly believe the truth needs to be told,” said Kaylynn Knull, who was visiting with her boyfriend Tom Schwander. “This sounds way too similar at the same resort.”

Re: FBI Testing Alcohol from Minibars in DR and the Blood of Three Dead Visitors

Nonametoday — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 02:50:45 GMT

They should not announce it. The owners of the resort will just remove the moonshined whisky and put good stuff in while they are being tested.

Re: FBI Testing Alcohol from Minibars in DR and the Blood of Three Dead Visitors

lovesrecess — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 02:55:48 GMT

They probably already had the samples before making it public. There has been a lot of contradictory reports regarding these deaths. One said the mini bar is stocked with fifths of alcohol, not small bottles...since I don’t drink alcohol, I have never really even noticed what is on a minibar when I stay at a resort. The report said the larger bottles and the all-inclusive prices encourages drinking too much...but it’s doubtful nine people drank themselves to death. Will be very interesting to see what the FBI finds from these samples.

Re: FBI Testing Alcohol from Minibars in DR and the Blood of Three Dead Visitors

GCR18 — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 02:59:11 GMT

It feels like it's taking forever to start looking into things.

Re: FBI Testing Alcohol from Minibars in DR and the Blood of Three Dead Visitors

this is my nic — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 03:14:03 GMT

Since this has happened in a foreign country it is probably very difficult to investigate. The country depends on tourism; they don't want to lose it. Unfortunately, that may mean the police won't look too closely. It's good that the FBI is involved. However, if I had reservations to go there, I'd cancel until this is figured out.

Re: FBI Testing Alcohol from Minibars in DR and the Blood of Three Dead Visitors

BirkiLady — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 05:19:16 GMT

That's a resort I wouldn't make reservations to stay at ever. Although we never use the minibars. We much prefer to go into the lounge or bar for our drinks and food.

My husband and I always kept a bottle of Maker's Mark and some sour mix in our room. It was easy to mix our own drinks and get a bucket of ice late at night if we really wanted a nightcap. Oh, the memories . . .

Re: FBI Testing Alcohol from Minibars in DR and the Blood of Three Dead Visitors

Bhvbum — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 12:34:07 GMT

Thank you to the FBI. This is a classic example of what the FBI does for us as citizens.

Re: FBI Testing Alcohol from Minibars in DR and the Blood of Three Dead Visitors

Lipstickdiva — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 14:44:38 GMT

That would be one heck of a mini-bar if they had fifths of liquor in them rather than small bottles. Wow.

Re: FBI Testing Alcohol from Minibars in DR and the Blood of Three Dead Visitors

wishmoon — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 14:50:59 GMT

I've stayed at all-inclusive resorts in the DR and our room's minibar certainly never looked like that.

Re: FBI Testing Alcohol from Minibars in DR and the Blood of Three Dead Visitors

chrystaltree — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 16:04:18 GMT

@wishmoon wrote:
I've stayed at all-inclusive resorts in the DR and our room's minibar certainly never looked like that.

That's because you stayed at very nice resorts. There are a lot of cut rate, "affordable" inns and motels in the DR and in all vacation locales. Those are places that are more likely to buy no-name or synthetic liquors.

Re: FBI Testing Alcohol from Minibars in DR and the Blood of Three Dead Visitors

Mindy D — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 17:48:05 GMT

There are photos of the actual minibars at some of the hotels under question. Bottles of liquor are on tap and not provided as originally sealed. Adding methanol would not be too hard. Something to consider; some hotels have American ownership but they would have to comply with alcohol import laws in the DR which could preclude these hotels from ordering fro supplies outside the DR.

Re: FBI Testing Alcohol from Minibars in DR and the Blood of Three Dead Visitors

Mindy D — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 18:10:48 GMT

According to an article in Patch News, in a quote by a Rutgers toxicology professor that is also

the owner of an organization called SafeProof that monitors alcohol around the world

"Anytime there's an all-inclusive resort the risk for adulterated alcohol increases," he explained. "The rates they charge tourists are so reasonable, and yet the cost of importing alcohol is so expensive, so the temptation for these resorts is very high."

What typically happens is one of four things, he said: "First, they simply just water down the alcohol. That's very common. The second is they will refill premium brand bottles with cheaper brands, many of which are made correctly, but are just not premium."

The third option is the most worrisome: Resorts will use liquor that has been distilled locally, often made in backyard distilleries that quietly operate without the government's knowledge.

"There's a reason why in the U.S. you can make your own beer but it's illegal to distill your own liquor. That's because the home distillation process can create methanol, which is poisonous," he said.

"That's the first part of it," he continued. "The second part of this, which is very likely, is that these illicit producers are using industrial-strength ethanol alcohol. You can buy a 55-gallon drum of this for only a few hundred dollars. It's the stuff made for cleaning products or rubbing alcohol; it's 200 proof. They mix it with water or another recipe, but if it's not done correctly, it can be lethal."

cited from Patch News

( I’m not sure if I’m allowed to provide the link in the citation so I’ve listed the title of the article. toxin-exposure-possible-dominican-deaths-rutgers-prof-says)

Re: FBI Testing Alcohol from Minibars in DR and the Blood of Three Dead Visitors

Grouchomarx — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 18:01:59 GMT

@Lipstickdiva wrote:
That would be one heck of a mini-bar if they had fifths of liquor in them rather than small bottles. Wow.

I have stayed in AI resorts with full bottles of liquor (unopened, and not in those crazy dispensers). They usually give us vodka (Svedka), gin (Tanqueray), tequila (I forget which brand) and sometimes a Scotch and also a bottle of wine. Also beer, sodas, water. These were some very nice resorts. We never used most of it honestly.