An internet star trapped in Mexico was told to ‘stop bringing negativity to social media’ as she detailed worsening conditions at her hotel amid the cartel violence.
Conservative beauty coach Tracy Lane is stuck in Puerto Vallarta until at least Thursday after nearly all domestic and international flights were canceled following the killing of cartel leader Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes.
The self-made businesswoman was in the city for the Seint Beauty makeup convention when violence erupted near her resort, she told her 197,000 followers.
‘They’re setting cars on fire. You can see the smoke and yesterday you could see the mountains over there,’ she shared to her Instagram stories Sunday.
‘And I keep crying and it’s dumb, because we’re safe,’ she added. ‘But I miss my kids and I just –– we’re safe, and I need to keep focusing on that but we don’t know when flights will be able to go again.’
She said the violent response to Oseguera Cervantes’s killing is ‘scary’ and ‘very serious,’ as she revealed that beaches were closed, flights grounded and resorts running low on supplies.
‘There’s just so many unknowns…Is the resort going to have enough food and water? Like nobody can get anything right now,’ she said, adding that she heard all the local stores have been ‘bought out’ by panicking shoppers.
But Lane’s stories were met with harsh replies from her followers who accused her of bringing ‘negativity’ to their timelines and sharing content that is ‘not inspiring.’
The beauty expert, however, has handled the situation with maturity and grace, telling the Daily Mail: ‘Honestly most [commenters] have been wonderful but there’s always a bad egg or two!’
Conservative beauty coach Tracy Lane is stuck in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico after the killing of cartel boss Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes caused violent uproar across the country. She shared the details of the ‘scary’ situation as it unfolded Sunday, but was met with harsh replies from her followers who accused her of bringing ‘negativity’ to their timelines and sharing content that is ‘not inspiring’
Firefighters work to extinguish flames from buses set on fire by members of organized crime group at a tourist area in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico on Sunday
Tourists trapped in resorts have revealed that food and water supplies are running low after panic buying at local shops. Pictured are carts outside of a vandalized supermarket in Guadalajara, Jalisco on Sunday
The makeup guru highlighted some of the comments in a reel on her page, saying that the ‘internet is wild.’
She appeared appalled by the seemingly tone deaf response to her fears.
She questioned how people expected her to be ‘inspiring’ while she was sheltering in place because the ‘cartel is retaliating.’
‘Prayers appreciated as we wait out the situation in Puerto Vallarta,’ she added. The Daily Mail has approached Lane for comment.
American tourists have found themselves trapped in Mexico, after Oseguera Cervantes, known as ‘El Mencho,’ was killed during a shoot-out in his home state of Jalisco as the Mexican military attempted to capture him.
Oseguera Cervantes was the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of the fastest-growing criminal networks in Mexico.
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel is notorious for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine to the US and staging brazen attacks against government officials who challenged it.
Following his death, gunmen unleashed violence across the country. Cars burned out by cartel members blocked roads in 20 Mexican states and left smoke billowing into the air.
Tourists watch a column of smoke after members of organized crime carried out roadblocks and burned down some businesses in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico on Sunday
While no airports are closed, a majority of flights have been cancelled and roadblocks are impacting airline operations. Travelers are seen on the runway at Puerto Vallarta International Airport on Sunday
The Puerto Vallarta International Airport has descended into chaos after after most domestic and international flights were canceled
People locked themselves in their homes in Guadalajara, Mexico’s second-largest city and Jalisco’s capital, and school was canceled Monday in several states as security forces were placed on alert all over the country. Even Guatemala reinforced security on its border with Mexico.
The US State Department has issued a shelter in place order due to ‘ongoing security operations and related road blockages and criminal activity’ that encompasses vacation hotspots like Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum.
Tourists trapped in those cities have described the chaos as ‘war breaking out in the streets.’
Some hotel guests were allegedly forced to evacuate their rooms and were told to find their own meals at off-site restaurants and shops.
One vacationer, who was forced to flee from his Airbnb in Puerto Vallarta, told Fox Digital how he woke up to the sound of blaring car horns and saw six vehicles completely engulfed in flames.
‘They told the people to leave,’ he said of the suspected cartel members who were dousing the cars with fuel. ‘Then they were taking the gas and pouring the gas on the vehicle and waiting until everybody was clear before they were setting it on fire.’
Others reported that hotel kitchens and nearby restaurants are shutdown, according to CNN, leaving many worried about where they will get food in the coming days.
American tourist Katy Holloman, from El Dorado Hills, took to Facebook to speak of her ordeal after she was told to shelter in her hotel as it was safer than attempting a journey to the airport.
American tourist Katy Holloman, from El Dorado Hills, took to Facebook to speak of her ordeal after she was told to shelter in her hotel as it was safer than attempting a journey to the airport
Dan Smith, from the Palm Springs area, shared a shocking clip of what appeared to be him running down a staircase as alarms rang out in the background
A soldier stands guard by a charred vehicle after it was set on fire, in Cointzio, Michoacán state, Mexico on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, following the death of Jalisco New Generation Cartel boss Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes
‘The road is closed due to the cartel. There’s no flights going out of the airport to the States. We’ve rescheduled them for tomorrow afternoon, really hoping we make it home,’ she said in a video.
‘Just going to pray we make it home tomorrow. This is unprecedented here; the hotel staff have been saying this has never happened before.’
Another tourist, Dan Smith, from the Palm Springs area, shared a shocking clip of what appeared to be him running down a staircase as alarms rang out in the background while a Mexican woman ordered him outside.
He said in a video clip: ‘We’re evacuating the building, propane tanks have exploded. Hoping the building doesn’t catch on fire.’
His brother Richard uploaded more footage from Daniel showing a bus in flames and other blazing vehicles blocking the roads of Puerto Vallarta.
He said: ‘Please keep good thoughts for my brother Daniel. Puerto Vallarta is under siege. He is stuck downtown, and all roads in and out are closed off. He can’t get home.
‘Luckily, there are some friends downtown where he can hang out. Although it’s been evacuated once already. The drug cartel is p***** off.’
A San Diego tourist, James Stephens, posted chilling footage of a Costco store up in flames and revealed the whole city had been locked down.
He said: ‘Stuck in Puerto Vallarta as the cartel is attempting to take over the city. Entire city shut down. Can’t get out. Crazy right? We’re safe.’
Members of the army patrol the perimeter of Palacio Nacional in Mexico City, where President Claudia Sheinbaum held her morning press conference, on Monday
A burning bus set on fire by organized crime groups at one of the main avenues in Zapopan, state of Jalisco, Mexico, on Sunday
Nemesio ‘El Mencho’ Oseguera Cervantes was killed by Mexican federal forces on Sunday, according to high-ranking officials who spoke with local publications
The explosion of violence has left at least 25 members of the National Guard dead in Jalisco in six separate attacks, Mexico Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said Monday.
Also killed were a prison guard, an agent from the state prosecutor’s office and a woman whom García Harfuch did not identify. He also said some 30 criminal suspects were killed in Jalisco and four others were killed in Michoacan.
Several Mexican states canceled school on Monday, with local and foreign governments warning their citizens to stay inside after widespread violence erupted.
President Claudia Sheinbaum urged calm Monday and authorities said all of the more than 250 cartel roadblocks across 20 states had been cleared.
The White House confirmed the US provided intelligence support to the operation to capture the cartel leader and applauded Mexico’s army for taking down a man who was one of the most wanted criminals in both countries.
Mexico hoped the death of the world’s biggest fentanyl traffickers would ease Trump administration pressure to do more against the cartels, but many remained hunkered down and on edge as they waited to see the powerful cartel’s reaction.
The US Embassy in Mexico said that its personnel in eight cities and the state of Michoacan would shelter in place and work remotely Monday and it warned American citizens in many parts of Mexico to do the same.
The embassy also noted that while no airports are closed, a majority of flights have been cancelled and roadblocks are impacting airline operations. Airports are also operating with limited personnel because of the burst of violence.
All ride share services were suspended in Puerto Vallarta and operations have been temporarily curtailed on toll roads across the region due to blockades.
A National Guard patrols the area outside of the General Prosecutor’s headquarters in Mexico City on Sunday
Firefighters extinguish a burning bus set on fire by organized crime groups in response to an operation in Jalisco to arrest a high-priority security target, at one of the main avenues in Zapopan, state of Jalisco, Mexico on Sunday
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel is one of the most powerful and fastest-growing criminal organizations in Mexico and began operating around 2009. In February 2025, the Trump administration designated the cartel as a foreign terrorist organization.
The Jalisco cartel has been one of the most aggressive cartels in its attacks on the military – including on helicopters – and is a pioneer in launching explosives from drones and installing mines.
In 2020, it carried out a spectacular assassination attempt with grenades and high-powered rifles in the heart of Mexico City against the then head of the capital´s police force and now federal security secretary.
