State prosecutors in Michoacan, Mexico have accused a cartel group of setting up internet antennas and forcing locals to use them for Wi-Fi under threat of violence, as reported by The Associated Press. The cartel group stands to make $150,000 per month by charging approximately 5,000 people 400 to 500 pesos per month for the service. People were coerced into using the internet services at inflated prices with the threat of harm if they refused, although no deaths have been reported.
A Twitter post featured pictures of the antennas, with a caption detailing how the cartel in Michoacan, Mexico demanded payment for Wi-Fi use at the risk of being killed, potentially generating $150,000 monthly.
These “narco-antennas” were constructed using stolen equipment and were seized by authorities in late December, including antennas and routers from Telmex, a Mexican internet company. While prosecutors did not disclose the identity of the criminal group behind the antennas, local media named the Los Viagras cartel, which is known to operate in the towns where locals were extorted for Wi-Fi services. One person was reportedly arrested in connection with the scheme.
