BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaPolice arrest five men over bodies found in remote Californian desertPublished24 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, CBSBy Chloe Kim and Max MatzaBBC NewsPolice have arrested five people after several bodies were found shot dead in a remote area of southern California’s Mojave Desert.Six bodies were found after a gunshot victim called 911, sending a police helicopter to the grisly crime scene. Investigators for the San Bernardino Sherriff’s Office said on Monday that the dispute appears to be related to illicit marijuana production. Four of the six victims have been identified so far, police say.The bodies – all men – were found on 23 January off a highway near the town of El Mirage, located in San Bernardino County. All six victims died from gunshot wounds, police say.Four of the victims had also sustained severe burns, Sgt Michael Warrick told reporters on Monday. The investigation began when 911 emergency operators received a call from one of the victims reporting that he had sustained a gunshot wound. A police helicopter was launched and located the victims, as well as a bullet-riddled SUV and minivan at about 20:15 local time (04:15 GMT) about 90mi (144km) northeast of Los Angeles.Four of the men were found near each other, while another was located in a vehicle. Officers discovered the final body a short distance away.Aerial footage of the scene appeared to show the SUV riddled with bullets and marked by shattered windows and the remnants of a fire.”As far as the motive, we are confident that this appears to be a dispute over marijuana,” said Sgt Warrick. In a news release, the sheriff’s office said the that “investigators determined the victims had arranged to meet at the location for a marijuana transaction”.The five men who have been arrested “arrived at the location, and for reasons still under investigation, shot the six victims”.Eight guns have been confiscated by investigators and are being tested to determine if they were used in the killings.Officials refused to comment on whether the killings were cartel or gang-related, instead attributing them to “organised crime”.Cannabis has been legal for adults to purchase and use in California since 2016, but a black market remains for untaxed marijuana.Last year, police in San Bernardino County executed 411 search warrants for illegal marijuana operations, and seized 74,000lbs (34,000kg) of processed cannabis, according to the sheriff’s office.Related TopicsUnited StatesCaliforniaMore on this storyBaby among six killed in possible cartel hit in USPublished18 January 2023US police identify man found shot in desert in 1976Published27 December 2023Top StoriesDUP agree to end boycott of Northern Ireland government Published1 hour agoThree US soldiers killed in Jordan attack namedPublished3 hours agoWhat options does US have to respond to Jordan attack?Published7 hours agoFeaturesLily Gladstone: The actress who could make Oscars historyGuardiola, Mourinho and the game that changed everythingAttributionSportSending money to North Korea was risky – now it’s harderWhy India wants to fence its troubled Myanmar border’We’re the country of beef, but we only eat chicken’Death in the Channel – what led a boy to make fatal journey?’Toy poodles’ on the Moon: Japan lander gets to workHas great white shark newborn been caught on film?How dangerous is vaping and what is the disposable vape ban?Elsewhere on the BBCHow did Britain lead the world into the jet age?An unlikely story of outstanding aviation achievement at a time of national austerityAttributioniPlayerTracing the historical origins of British comedy tropesIan Hislop’s on the hunt for the earliest examples of enduring British jokesAttributionSounds’I never tried to be famous…it was accidental’Michael Parkinson with guests Ricky Gervais, Michael Palin and Kate AdieAttributioniPlayer’Comedy saved my life’First broadcast in 2010, hear Frank Skinner’s desert island picks and personal revelationsAttributionSoundsMost Read1Minister quit as he ‘couldn’t afford mortgage’2Woman injured in Sydney Harbour shark attack3DUP executive members endorse devolution deal4Man Utd say Rashford ‘taken responsibility for actions’AttributionSport5’Women sit next to abusers at music industry parties’6Medicine stopped in 80s linked to rare Alzheimer’s7Lily Gladstone: The actress who could make Oscars history8Three US soldiers killed in Jordan attack named9What options does US have to respond to Jordan attack?10US weapons sales abroad hit record high in 2023