Mexican Cartel Extorts Locals with “Narco-Antennas” Offering Forced Wi-Fi Payments

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico - In a new development in the ongoing battle against drug cartels in central Mexico, the notorious Los Viagras cartel has resorted to a new tactic to expand its influence beyond the drug trade. The criminal group has set up makeshift internet antennas in several towns in the embattled state of Michoacan, forcing residents to pay exorbitant fees for access to Wi-Fi or face dire consequences.

Dubbed "narco-antennas" by local media, these clandestine communication systems were erected using stolen equipment, and they have shaken the communities in their grip. The Michoacán state . . .