Mexican drug war numbers, gangs want control

The Mexican government's fight against drug cartels has claimed up to 50,000 lives since the crackdown on the illegal trade began five years ago. At stake for the traffickers is an industry worth up to $39bn a year, according to US government officials. Watch the video for some more key figures.



The power and reach of Mexico's drug cartels appears to have increased in recent years despite a government crackdown. Nearly 50,000 people are estimated to have been killed in the government's fight against the cartels, and residents of the resort town of Acapulco say the crackdown has only led to more violence. Al Jazeera's Mariana Sanchez reports from Acapulco, where a number of cartels are fighting for control. Some viewers may find some of the images in this report disturbing.