In the remote expanse of southern California's Mojave Desert, authorities have apprehended five individuals after the discovery of six lifeless bodies, all men, bearing gunshot wounds near El Mirage.&nbsp;

The men were purportedly killed in a dispute over illicit marijuana production, said investigators from the San Bernardino Sheriff's Office, as reported by BBC.

<h2>How the discovery was made</h2>

The macabre discovery was made by a police helicopter after a victim of a gunshot wound dialled 911, prompting the dispatch to the desolate crime scene.&nbsp;

Subsequent aerial reconnaissance located the victims, accompanied by a bullet-riddled SUV and minivan, situated approximately 90 miles (144.84 kilometres) northeast of Los Angeles.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/scathing-report-accuses-trump-administration-of-controlled-substance-violations-in-white-house-684984">Scathing report accuses Trump administration of controlled substance violations in White House</a>

Four of the six victims have&nbsp;been identified thus far. Their bodies were found on January 23 off a highway in San Bernardino County. Four of the men exhibited severe burns, revealed Seargent Michael Warrick during a press briefing on Monday.

Aerial footage documenting the crime scene shows the SUV marred by multiple bullet holes, shattered windows, and remnants of a fire.&nbsp;

"As far as the motive, we are confident that this appears to be a dispute over marijuana," said Seargent Warrick.

A news release by the sheriff's office said that "investigators determined the victims had arranged to meet at the location for a marijuana transaction".&nbsp;

The sheriff's office underscored that the five arrested individuals arrived at the location and, for reasons still under investigation, shot the six victims. Eight guns have been confiscated and are undergoing examination to ascertain their involvement in the killings.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/need-more-time-canada-to-continue-to-exclude-mental-health-patients-from-assisted-death-law-685017">'Need more time': Canada to continue to exclude mental health patients from assisted death law</a>

While officials refrained from confirming whether the incident bore cartel or gang affiliations, they attributed it to "organised crime".

Despite the legalisation of cannabis for adults in California since 2016, a black market for untaxed marijuana persists. In San Bernardino County alone, last year, law enforcement executed 411 search warrants for illegal marijuana operations, which resulted in the confiscation of 74,000 pounds (around 33,566 kg) of processed cannabis, revealed the sheriff's office.

(With inputs from agencies)

In the remote expanse of southern California's Mojave Desert, authorities have apprehended five individuals after the discovery of six lifeless bodies, all men, bearing gunshot wounds near El Mirage.

In the remote expanse of southern California's Mojave Desert, authorities have apprehended five individuals after the discovery of six lifeless bodies, all men, bearing gunshot wounds near El Mirage. The men were purportedly killed in a dispute over illicit marijuana production, said investigators from the San Bernardino Sheriff's Office, as reported by BBC. How the discovery was made The macabre discovery was made by a police helicopter after a victim of a gunshot wound dialled 911, prompting the dispatch to the desolate crime scene. Subsequent aerial reconnaissance located the victims, accompanied by a bullet-riddled SUV and minivan, situated approximately 90 miles (144.84 kilometres) northeast of Los Angeles. Also read | Scathing report accuses Trump administration of controlled substance violations in White House Four of the six victims have been identified thus far. Their bodies were found on January 23 off a highway in San Bernardino County. Four of the men exhibited severe burns, revealed Seargent Michael Warrick during a press briefing on Monday. Aerial footage documenting the crime scene shows the SUV marred by multiple bullet holes, shattered windows, and remnants of a fire. "As far as the motive, we are confident that this appears to be a dispute over marijuana," said Seargent Warrick. A news release by the sheriff's office said that "investigators determined the victims had arranged to meet at the location for a marijuana transaction". The sheriff's office underscored that the five arrested individuals arrived at the location and, for reasons still under investigation, shot the six victims. Eight guns have been confiscated and are undergoing examination to ascertain their involvement in the killings. Also read | 'Need more time': Canada to continue to exclude mental health patients from assisted death law While officials refrained from confirming whether the incident bore cartel or gang affiliations, they attributed it to "organised crime". Despite the legalisation of cannabis for adults in California since 2016, a black market for untaxed marijuana persists. In San Bernardino County alone, last year, law enforcement executed 411 search warrants for illegal marijuana operations, which resulted in the confiscation of 74,000 pounds (around 33,566 kg) of processed cannabis, revealed the sheriff's office. (With inputs from agencies)

Police discover 6 bodies in California's Mojave Desert; 5 arrested over illicit marijuana trade suspicion

Emergency officials in Southern California's high desert braced for strong, potentially dangerous aftershocks from a major earthquake that damaged buildings, ruptured gas lines and sparked numerous fires near the quake's remote epicentre.

The powerful magnitude<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/southern-california-hit-by-powerful-71-magnitude-earthquake-233468&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiPz7PRqKDjAhXz63MBHbRMCwQQFjAAegQIBRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0hOcDom0nBm07h94OFpz-P"> 7.1 tremor</a> rocked the Mojave Desert town of Ridgecrest near Death Valley National Park as darkness fell on Friday night, jolting the area with eight times more force than a 6.4 quake that had struck the same area 34 hours earlier.

California Governor Gavin Newsom requested federal assistance and placed the state Office of Emergency Services (OES) on its highest alert.

"We have significant reports of fires, structural fires, mostly as a result of gas leaks or gas line breaks," OES Director Mark Ghilarducci told a late-night news conference on Friday.

The quake also caused water main breaks and knocked out power and communications to parts of Ridgecrest, a city of about 27,000 that lies about 125 miles (202 km) northeast of Los Angeles.

No fatalities or serious injuries were reported from either quake, police said. But Ghilarducci said the full extent of damage would not be known before daybreak on Saturday.

"This was a very large earthquake, and we also know there's going to be a series of aftershocks as a result of the main quake," Ghilarducci said, adding his agency faced a "challenge" getting needed resources to the isolated quake zone. "This is not going to be something that's going to be over right away."

WIDELY FELT, MORE TO COME

Friday's earthquake was widely felt across Southern California, including greater Los Angeles, were shaking in some areas lasted about 40 seconds. Low-level rumbling extended as far north as the San Francisco Bay area and beyond to Reno, Nevada, and as far east as Phoenix, Arizona.

Seismologists said the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/southern-california-rocked-by-powerful-64-magnitude-earthquake-in-two-decades-233096&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiPz7PRqKDjAhXz63MBHbRMCwQQFjABegQIDxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2gBGSgwvHYPMRbETMG3vvM">initial quake on Thursday</a>, and dozens of smaller ones that followed it proved to be foreshocks to Friday's much larger temblor, which now ranks as Southern California's most powerful since a 7.1 quake that struck near a US&nbsp;Marine Corps base in the Mojave Desert in 1999.

The US&nbsp;Geological Survey said Friday's big quake was immediately followed by at least 16 aftershocks of magnitude 4 or greater and warned of a 50 per cent chance of another magnitude 6 quake in the days ahead.

South of Ridgecrest, there were reports of a building collapse and gas leaks in the small town of Trona, home to about 2,000 residents, Ghilarducci said.

A rockslide closed State Road 178 in Kern County, and video footage posted on Twitter showed a stretch of road had buckled.

Luke Smith, owner of Furys Sports Bar in Ridgecrest, said in a phone interview that Friday's quake shook tiles loose from the ceiling, slightly damaging his bar and knocking down some bottles.

Southern California's Metrolink commuter rail service reported delays on several of its lines for precautionary track inspections due to Friday's earthquake.

The last major destructive quake to hit Southern California was the 6.7 magnitude Northridge quake in 1994, which struck a densely populated area of Los Angeles. It killed 57 people and caused billions of dollars in property damage.

The comparatively limited extent of damage from Friday's quake, packing greater force than the Northridge event, was a function of its location in a remote, less developed area.

It's ground motion, however, startled seismically-jaded Southern Californians over a wide region.

Pools in Los Angeles sloshed wildly, and TV cameras at major league baseball's Dodger Stadium were shaking as they filmed the night game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres.

A television anchorwoman ducked under her desk in midst of a local newscast as shouts of "get under a desk" were heard in the background.

Emergency officials in Southern California's high desert braced for strong, potentially dangerous aftershocks from a major earthquake that damaged buildings, ruptured gas lines and sparked numerous fires near the quake's remote epicentre.

Emergency officials in Southern California's high desert braced for strong, potentially dangerous aftershocks from a major earthquake that damaged buildings, ruptured gas lines and sparked numerous fires near the quake's remote epicentre. The powerful magnitude 7.1 tremor rocked the Mojave Desert town of Ridgecrest near Death Valley National Park as darkness fell on Friday night, jolting the area with eight times more force than a 6.4 quake that had struck the same area 34 hours earlier. California Governor Gavin Newsom requested federal assistance and placed the state Office of Emergency Services (OES) on its highest alert. "We have significant reports of fires, structural fires, mostly as a result of gas leaks or gas line breaks," OES Director Mark Ghilarducci told a late-night news conference on Friday. The quake also caused water main breaks and knocked out power and communications to parts of Ridgecrest, a city of about 27,000 that lies about 125 miles (202 km) northeast of Los Angeles. No fatalities or serious injuries were reported from either quake, police said. But Ghilarducci said the full extent of damage would not be known before daybreak on Saturday. "This was a very large earthquake, and we also know there's going to be a series of aftershocks as a result of the main quake," Ghilarducci said, adding his agency faced a "challenge" getting needed resources to the isolated quake zone. "This is not going to be something that's going to be over right away." WIDELY FELT, MORE TO COME Friday's earthquake was widely felt across Southern California, including greater Los Angeles, were shaking in some areas lasted about 40 seconds. Low-level rumbling extended as far north as the San Francisco Bay area and beyond to Reno, Nevada, and as far east as Phoenix, Arizona. Seismologists said the initial quake on Thursday, and dozens of smaller ones that followed it proved to be foreshocks to Friday's much larger temblor, which now ranks as Southern California's most powerful since a 7.1 quake that struck near a US Marine Corps base in the Mojave Desert in 1999. The US Geological Survey said Friday's big quake was immediately followed by at least 16 aftershocks of magnitude 4 or greater and warned of a 50 per cent chance of another magnitude 6 quake in the days ahead. South of Ridgecrest, there were reports of a building collapse and gas leaks in the small town of Trona, home to about 2,000 residents, Ghilarducci said. A rockslide closed State Road 178 in Kern County, and video footage posted on Twitter showed a stretch of road had buckled. Luke Smith, owner of Furys Sports Bar in Ridgecrest, said in a phone interview that Friday's quake shook tiles loose from the ceiling, slightly damaging his bar and knocking down some bottles. Southern California's Metrolink commuter rail service reported delays on several of its lines for precautionary track inspections due to Friday's earthquake. The last major destructive quake to hit Southern California was the 6.7 magnitude Northridge quake in 1994, which struck a densely populated area of Los Angeles. It killed 57 people and caused billions of dollars in property damage. The comparatively limited extent of damage from Friday's quake, packing greater force than the Northridge event, was a function of its location in a remote, less developed area. It's ground motion, however, startled seismically-jaded Southern Californians over a wide region. Pools in Los Angeles sloshed wildly, and TV cameras at major league baseball's Dodger Stadium were shaking as they filmed the night game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. A television anchorwoman ducked under her desk in midst of a local newscast as shouts of "get under a desk" were heard in the background.

California desert braces for aftershocks from major 7.1 quake

Southern California was rocked by its largest earthquake in two decades on Thursday, but the 6.4-magnitude tremblor caused only "minor" injuries.

The shallow quake, which was followed by dozens of aftershocks, struck in a sparsely populated portion of the Mojave Desert, 10 kilometres from the city of Ridgecrest at 10:33 am.&nbsp;

It was felt 160 miles away in Los Angeles and even as far afield as Las Vegas in the neighbouring state of Nevada, as the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/salute-to-america-trump-praises-us-military-in-july-4-speech-233094">United States celebrated its July 4</a> Independence Day holiday.

Although the quake in the most populous US state of California revived fears of the "Big One" -- a powerful tremblor along the San Andreas Fault that could devastate major cities in Southern California -- President Trump was quick to reassure that this wasn't it.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Been fully briefed on earthquake in Southern California. All seems to be very much under control!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1146862295466819585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

"All seems to be very much under control!" he tweeted two hours after the quake in the Searles Valley of San Bernardino County.

California Institute of Technology seismologist Lucy Jones told a press conference that residents "will continue having a lot of aftershocks," some may be as strong as magnitude five.

The quake was the largest in southern California since 1999 when a 7.1-magnitude quake struck the Twentynine Palms Marine Corps base, according to The Los Angeles Times.

David Witt, the fire chief in Kern County which includes Ridgecrest, reported "minor, minor injuries," stemming from broken glass and shelves falling down in supermarkets.&nbsp;

He was not able to provide an exact number of casualties.

Peggy Breeden, mayor of Ridgecrest which has a population of 28,000, said the local hospital had been evacuated as a precaution, and that she had received reports of a handful of house fires.

Some areas of the city had lost power, while gas had been cut due to ruptured lines, she said.

The San Bernardino County Fire Department, meanwhile, said that "buildings and roads have sustained varying degrees of damage."&nbsp;

This included "buildings with minor cracks, broken water mains, power lines down, rock slides on certain roads."

The quake struck at a depth of 10.7 kilometres in the vast desert region, lasting seconds.

Its epicentre was located in or on the edge of the US Navy's sprawling desert bomb testing range known as China Lake.&nbsp;

The Naval Air Weapons Station covers 1.1 million acres and strictly controls the airspace above it. Inside, the Navy develops and tests missiles, bombs, artillery shells and other war ordnance, and the aircraft used to deliver it.

An official at China Lake said there was "substantial damage" to their facilities, including fires, water leaks and spills of hazardous materials.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said there was no significant damage there, while the city's international airport said its runways were unharmed, with operations continuing as normal.

'Even bigger earthquake'

Jones said there is a small possibility this quake is the prelude to a larger one.

"There is about a one-in-20 chance that this location will be having an even bigger earthquake within the next few days, that we have not yet seen the biggest earthquake of the sequence," she said.

"There have been hundreds of earthquakes today," she said, including more than 100 that the United States Geological Survey measured at greater than magnitude 2.5.

For filmmaker Ava DuVernay, a lifelong resident of Los Angles, "That was the longest earthquake I've ever experienced. Not jerky. Smooth and rolling. But it was loooong."

Southern California was rocked by its largest earthquake in two decades on Thursday, but the 6.4-magnitude tremblor caused only "minor" injuries. The shallow quake, which was followed by dozens of aftershocks, struck in a sparsely populated portion of the Mojave Desert, 10 kilometres from the city of Ridgecrest at 10:33 am.

Southern California was rocked by its largest earthquake in two decades on Thursday, but the 6.4-magnitude tremblor caused only "minor" injuries. The shallow quake, which was followed by dozens of aftershocks, struck in a sparsely populated portion of the Mojave Desert, 10 kilometres from the city of Ridgecrest at 10:33 am. It was felt 160 miles away in Los Angeles and even as far afield as Las Vegas in the neighbouring state of Nevada, as the United States celebrated its July 4 Independence Day holiday. Although the quake in the most populous US state of California revived fears of the "Big One" -- a powerful tremblor along the San Andreas Fault that could devastate major cities in Southern California -- President Trump was quick to reassure that this wasn't it. Been fully briefed on earthquake in Southern California. All seems to be very much under control! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 4, 2019 × "All seems to be very much under control!" he tweeted two hours after the quake in the Searles Valley of San Bernardino County. California Institute of Technology seismologist Lucy Jones told a press conference that residents "will continue having a lot of aftershocks," some may be as strong as magnitude five. The quake was the largest in southern California since 1999 when a 7.1-magnitude quake struck the Twentynine Palms Marine Corps base, according to The Los Angeles Times. David Witt, the fire chief in Kern County which includes Ridgecrest, reported "minor, minor injuries," stemming from broken glass and shelves falling down in supermarkets. He was not able to provide an exact number of casualties. Peggy Breeden, mayor of Ridgecrest which has a population of 28,000, said the local hospital had been evacuated as a precaution, and that she had received reports of a handful of house fires. Some areas of the city had lost power, while gas had been cut due to ruptured lines, she said. The San Bernardino County Fire Department, meanwhile, said that "buildings and roads have sustained varying degrees of damage." This included "buildings with minor cracks, broken water mains, power lines down, rock slides on certain roads." The quake struck at a depth of 10.7 kilometres in the vast desert region, lasting seconds. Its epicentre was located in or on the edge of the US Navy's sprawling desert bomb testing range known as China Lake. The Naval Air Weapons Station covers 1.1 million acres and strictly controls the airspace above it. Inside, the Navy develops and tests missiles, bombs, artillery shells and other war ordnance, and the aircraft used to deliver it. An official at China Lake said there was "substantial damage" to their facilities, including fires, water leaks and spills of hazardous materials. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said there was no significant damage there, while the city's international airport said its runways were unharmed, with operations continuing as normal. 'Even bigger earthquake' Jones said there is a small possibility this quake is the prelude to a larger one. "There is about a one-in-20 chance that this location will be having an even bigger earthquake within the next few days, that we have not yet seen the biggest earthquake of the sequence," she said. "There have been hundreds of earthquakes today," she said, including more than 100 that the United States Geological Survey measured at greater than magnitude 2.5. For filmmaker Ava DuVernay, a lifelong resident of Los Angles, "That was the longest earthquake I've ever experienced. Not jerky. Smooth and rolling. But it was loooong."

6.4-magnitude earthquake hits southern California; no casualties

The world's largest aircraft took off over the Mojave Desert in California on Saturday, the first flight for the carbon-composite plane built by Stratolaunch Systems Corp, started by late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, as the company enters the lucrative private space market.

The white airplane called Roc, which has a wingspan the length of an American football field and is powered by six engines on a twin fuselage, took to the air shortly before 7 a.m. Pacific time (1400 GMT) and stayed aloft for more than two hours before landing safely back at the Mojave Air and Space Port as a crowd of hundreds of people cheered.

"What a fantastic first flight," Stratolaunch Chief Executive Officer Jean Floyd said in a statement posted to the company's website.

"Today’s flight furthers our mission to provide a flexible alternative to ground-launched systems, Floyd said. "We are incredibly proud of the Stratolaunch team, today’s flight crew, our partners at Northrup Grumman’s Scaled Composites and the Mojave Air and Space Port."

The plane is designed to drop rockets and other space vehicles weighing up to 500,000 pounds at an altitude of 35,000 feet and has been billed by the company as making satellite deployment as "easy as booking an airline flight."

Saturday's flight, which saw the plane reach a maximum speed of 189 miles per hour and altitudes of 17,000 feet, was meant to test its performance and handling qualities, according to Stratolaunch.

Allen, who co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates in 1975, announced in 2011 that he had formed the privately funded Stratolaunch.

The company seeks to cash in on higher demand in coming years for vessels that can put satellites in orbit, competing in the United States with other space entrepreneurs and industry stalwarts such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX and United Launch Alliance - a partnership between Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

Stratolaunch has said that it intends to launch its first rockets from the Roc in 2020 at the earliest. Allen died in October 2018 while suffering from non-Hodgkins' lymphoma, just months after the plane's development was unveiled.

"We all know Paul would have been proud to witness today’s historic achievement," said Jody Allen, Chair of Vulcan Inc and Trustee of the Paul G. Allen Trust. "The aircraft is a remarkable engineering achievement and we congratulate everyone involved."

The world's largest aircraft took off over the Mojave Desert in California on Saturday, the first flight for the carbon-composite plane built by Stratolaunch Systems Corp, started by late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, as the company enters the lucrative private space market.

The world's largest aircraft took off over the Mojave Desert in California on Saturday, the first flight for the carbon-composite plane built by Stratolaunch Systems Corp, started by late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, as the company enters the lucrative private space market. The white airplane called Roc, which has a wingspan the length of an American football field and is powered by six engines on a twin fuselage, took to the air shortly before 7 a.m. Pacific time (1400 GMT) and stayed aloft for more than two hours before landing safely back at the Mojave Air and Space Port as a crowd of hundreds of people cheered. "What a fantastic first flight," Stratolaunch Chief Executive Officer Jean Floyd said in a statement posted to the company's website. "Today’s flight furthers our mission to provide a flexible alternative to ground-launched systems, Floyd said. "We are incredibly proud of the Stratolaunch team, today’s flight crew, our partners at Northrup Grumman’s Scaled Composites and the Mojave Air and Space Port." The plane is designed to drop rockets and other space vehicles weighing up to 500,000 pounds at an altitude of 35,000 feet and has been billed by the company as making satellite deployment as "easy as booking an airline flight." Saturday's flight, which saw the plane reach a maximum speed of 189 miles per hour and altitudes of 17,000 feet, was meant to test its performance and handling qualities, according to Stratolaunch. Allen, who co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates in 1975, announced in 2011 that he had formed the privately funded Stratolaunch. The company seeks to cash in on higher demand in coming years for vessels that can put satellites in orbit, competing in the United States with other space entrepreneurs and industry stalwarts such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX and United Launch Alliance - a partnership between Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Stratolaunch has said that it intends to launch its first rockets from the Roc in 2020 at the earliest. Allen died in October 2018 while suffering from non-Hodgkins' lymphoma, just months after the plane's development was unveiled. "We all know Paul would have been proud to witness today’s historic achievement," said Jody Allen, Chair of Vulcan Inc and Trustee of the Paul G. Allen Trust. "The aircraft is a remarkable engineering achievement and we congratulate everyone involved."

World's largest plane makes first flight over California

World's largest plane with wingspan the length of an American football field makes first flight over California

mojave-desert

Mojave Desert, News on Mojave Desert, stories on Mojave Desert, articles on Mojave Desert, Mojave Desert stories at Wion, Mojave Desert news, Mojave Desert latest news

mojave desert

Police discover 6 bodies in California's Mojave Desert; 5 arrested over illicit marijuana trade suspicion

California desert braces for aftershocks from major 7.1 quake

6.4-magnitude earthquake hits southern California; no casualties

World's largest plane makes first flight over California

World's largest plane with wingspan the length of an American football field makes first flight over California