A travel influencer has told her followers how she got stuck abroad and couldn’t even leave her hotel due to “cartel chaos”.
Keltie Bain and her husband were holidaying in a popular tourist attraction when the turmoil unfolded.
She shared a video from their hotel balcony explaining the predicament to her 77,800 TikTok followers.
The pair were staying in Tulum, Mexico.
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“This morning when we woke up, we had heard about what was happening in Puerto Vallarta [with the cartel],” she said.
“And I guess I didn’t know that it was going to affect where we currently are.”
Before recording the video, Keltie and her husband Jeff had walked to downtown Tulum before heading to a beach club – when they began hearing sirens, followed by military presence.
She said: “On our way back, I saw the police with their sirens, but that’s very common in Mexico.
“We come to Mexico two to three times a year.
“But behind the police was military – fully masked – in two vehicles with a bunch of people in them.
“And I even said to my husband, that’s weird, but again, we didn’t know what was going on.”
After arriving back at their accommodation, the receptionist asked where they had been.
He reportedly told the couple that they would need to stay inside at the hotel apartments due to cartel issues linked to the incidents in Puerto Vallarta – with vehicles on fire downtown.
The chaos began when Mexican forces killed Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel, during a military operation in Jalisco state.
In retaliation, cartel gunmen launched coordinated attacks across Jalisco and other states, especially around Puerto Vallarta, a major tourist resort.
The attacks included burning cars, buses and shops, blocking highways, shootouts and explosions – creating widespread panic and forcing authorities to issue shelter-in-place warnings.
Airports and roads were disrupted, flights were cancelled and tourists were temporarily stranded in the resort city.
Reports suggested dozens of people were killed in the wider wave of violence, though tourists were generally not among the victims.
Unable to leave, Keltie and Jeff had to order groceries to their room but luckily they had a kitchen, as reported by Need To Know.
They were also advised to charge their devices due to power outages and possible shortages.
Keltie shared the clip on 22 February, saying: “Apparently, major cities are being targeted.
“So Playa del Carmen, Cancún, obviously Puerto Vallarta – we’re in Tulum.
“So yeah, things are a little touch-and-go right now.
“We feel perfectly safe in our current situation but we were planning to go downtown tonight for dinner.
“That’s obviously not happening.”
Once the turmoil died down, Keltie and Jeff were able to enjoy the rest of their holiday.
They have since returned to their home in Yarmouth, Canada.
She added: “Things changed so quickly because this wasn’t on our radar at all.
“Everyone stay safe.”
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