I have not heard anything about local deaths. That, to me, means it isn’t “bad liquor” being sold in the area. Instead, it suggests someone deliberately killing Americans by poisoning them.
Product tampering is rampant in DR.
Watering down liquor, soft drinks and everything else they can get away with, because they can, so they do.
It is not surprising that there have been deaths from such behavior. BOTULISM I suspect is a major cause of death.........