Mexican cartels are about fifth-largest employers in the country, study finds

Organized crime groups have around 175,000 members and authors say the best way to reduce violence is to cut membership

Organised crime groups in Mexico have around 175,000 members - making them the fifth-biggest employer in the country, according to new research published in the journal Science.

Using a decade of data on homicides, missing persons and incarcerations, as well as information about interactions between rival factions, the paper published on Thursday mathematically modeled overall cartel membership, and how levels of violence would respond to a range of policies.