Strong earthquake rattles remote West Texas desert

MENTONE, Texas (AP) — A strong earthquake shook a sparsely populated patch of the West Texas desert Thursday, causing tremors that were felt as far away as the Mexican city of Ciudad Juárez. National Weather Service meteorologist Jim DeBerry says the magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck around 3:30 p.m. DeBerry says the quake’s epicenter was about 23 miles (37 kilometers) south of Mentone, a tiny community south of the New Mexico state line and 95 miles (153 kilometers) west of Midland. He says the strength of the quake means it likely caused damage in the remote oil patch and scrubland, but that none has been reported so far.