The criminal group, which charged 5,000 residents between $20-$30 monthly, could make $150,000 every month. Authorities investigating the case, which involves makeshift antennas built with stolen equipment speculated to belong to Telmex, have seized the equipment and made an arrest.

While not naming the specific cartel due to the ongoing probe, they indicated the dominant group to be Los Viagras.

Cartels have historically used clandestine communication networks to avoid law enforcement. These criminal organizations are now expanding into extorting communities for basic services, representing a shift from focusing solely on drug trade to monopolizing various legal markets and services.

In some regions, cartels are enforcing taxes on essential goods and have infiltrated industries such as avocado and lime production and mining. This diversification into territorial control is part of a trend noted by Crisis Group's Mexico analyst Falko Ernst, signifying a broader strategy beyond narcotics.