Over the weekend, authorities in Costa Rica confiscated 30,000 bottles of liquor after 19 people died after drinking what is believed to be tainted alcohol from multiple brands in the last six weeks.

The news comes as the FBI runs toxicology tests in connection with two of the 10 Americans confirmed to have died in the Dominican Republic since March.

Meanwhile, The Hard Rock Hotel chain has removed liquor dispensers from rooms on the Caribbean island as well as at properties in Mexico.

Here's what we know about counterfeit alcohol overseas and how you can identify and avoid it.

What is counterfeit alcohol?

What is often used as a catch-all term for unregulated booze is actually a fraudulent imitation of a legitimate product through tampering or refilling it with toxic forms of alcohol such as methanol (wood-distilled) or ethanol (grain-distilled).

Other forms of unregulated alcohol can include:

Informal: Local artisanal or homebrewed beverages, which may or or may not be regulated

Contraband: Liquor smuggled across the border to avoid taxes and tariffs

Non-conforming: Beverages made by manufacturers who do not adhere to accepted bottling or labeling procedures, including products made with ethyl alcohol, or other solvents that make it unsuitable for human consumption

Tax leakage: Legally produced beverages for which taxes were not paid

Surrogate: Liquids not intended for drinking but consumed anyway; may be legal for non-recreational uses

Which countries have had issues with it?

At least 25 nation were spotlighted in a June 2018 study by the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking. The group is comprised of 11 major alcoholic beverage manufacturers including Anheuser Busch, Heineken and Molson Coors, and they want unregulated alcohol brought under greater governmental control.

In Costa Rica, illicit alcohol makes up 19% of total sales. it's even higher in Mexico (34%) and in the Dominican Republic (29%), where several U.S. tourists were said to have been sickened or died after drinking from the minibars in their rooms.

Last week, the Dominican Republic's Ministry of Tourism announced it would be amping up safety protocols, including new rules for hotels' handling of food and alcohol and greater transparency about their food and beverage suppliers.

Costa Rica deaths: See the brands linked to tainted alcohol fatalities

Dominican Republic enacts new rules: Food and drink inspections to become stricter after tourist deaths

In all, Central and South America accounted for over half the countries on the list along with seven African countries (where the numbers ranged from 23% in South Africa to 61% in Uganda). Two Eastern European countries were also cited: Russia (38%) and the Czech Republic (7%).

How can I avoid it?

Don't buy bargain bin liquor: If you've never heard of the label or the price sounds too good to believe, there's a good chance the booze is likely counterfeit, says the Overseas Security Advisory Council, a joint effort between the State Department and private sector groups dedicated to studying security threats against U.S. interests overseas. The group says such beverages may be watered down with jet fuel, antifreeze or other chemicals that are toxic to humans.

Avoid homebrews: Trying bootlegged local booze may sound like an adventure or the fodder of future drinking stories but it could well land you in the hospital or the morgue. OSAC points to cases in Uttar Pradesh India, where 31 people died and 160 were hospitalized after drinking homebrew laced with methyl alcohol.