Sen. Chuck Schumer on Sunday called on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to head to the Dominican Republic to probe the troubling string of tourist deaths.

“American tourists do not have to shake an eight ball before booking a trip,” the Senate’s top Democrat said at his weekly press conference in New York. “The feds have to redouble their efforts in getting to the bottom of things.”

The FBI has been assisting Dominican authorities in investigating the deaths of at least eight Americans, including running toxicology tests on alcohol samples from resorts.

Schumer suggested that bootleg alcohol could be to blame — after some of the tourists died while drinking from the mini-bar in their room.

“We all know some criminals use methanol in alcohol,” he said. “Some shady business people put methanol in alcohol instead of ethanol. It can kill you. Is that the cause?”

A source familiar with the DR probe said the feds were looking into three possibilities: bad bootleg liquor; a bad batch or overuse of homemade pesticides; or a serial killer who is poisoning people.

The ATF primarily investigates firearms-related offenses but is charged with regulating alcohol and tobacco.

“FBI is lead in this investigation,” ATF spokeswoman April Langwell said. “We have offered our assistance.”

The senator said officials in the DR need all the help they can get from the US, in light of a recent study that showed trips to the island dropped nearly 75 percent for July and August compared to the same period last year.

“They know this is affecting tourism. They’re laying off people in some of the hotels, people cancelling reservations,” Schumer said. “This is their life blood.”