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A desert street racing circus came to a screeching halt this past weekend as police in Tucson, Arizona, swarmed a late-night takeover, rounding up drivers and spectators and hauling off tricked-out cars in a sweeping crackdown on the growing nationwide trend.
The Tucson Police Department, working alongside the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, launched a coordinated deployment after identifying a large gathering. Officers moved in on the scene, which they said was packed with participants and dozens of onlookers, shutting it down before it could escalate further.
The operation ended with the arrests of 17 adults and seven juveniles, as well as seven vehicles towed.
Police did not mince words about the danger.
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Participants hang out of a moving car as crowds gather during a Tucson street takeover. (Tucson Police Department)
“Street racing and street takeovers are dangerous and unpredictable,” TPD said, warning these events “can draw large crowds, sometimes involving individuals who are armed or under the influence, and situations can escalate in seconds.”
A modified car spins through smoke during a late-night street takeover in Tucson before police moved in. (Tucson Police Department)
“That creates serious risks for everyone in the area,” the department added.
“Recent fatal crashes in our community are a tragic reminder of the real and lasting consequences tied to this behavior,” police said.
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Tow trucks remove multiple modified vehicles seized during a Tucson police crackdown on street racing. (Tucson Police Department)
Investigators said they are aggressively tracking down cars tied to these events, often easy to spot due to “noticeable decals, paint schemes, modifications, and damage.” Those vehicles, officials said, can be impounded as evidence as cases are built against drivers and organizers.
Officials made it clear that just showing up can carry consequences.
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A seized vehicle is loaded onto a tow truck under flashing police lights following a Tucson street takeover. (Tucson Police Department)
“Participating in illegal street racing or reckless driving can lead to arrest,” the department said. “If you’re thinking about going to one of these events, DON’T. Even spectating can lead to citations or arrest.”
Police said the enforcement push is part of a broader strategy focused on enforcement, surveillance, and coordination to curb a trend that’s been plaguing cities nationwide.
WATCH: More cars hauled away after desert street takeover crackdown
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“TPD, along with our regional partners, will continue proactive enforcement efforts to stop these gatherings before they grow into something more dangerous,” the statement said.
Authorities are urging anyone with information about illegal street racing to report it anonymously to 88-CRIME or call 911, adding, “Together, we can make Tucson’s streets safer.”
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The crackdown in Tucson comes as similar chaos is playing out across the country.
In New York City over the weekend, police launched an investigation into a massive street takeover in Queens that drew more than 100 vehicles in the early morning hours, with drivers spinning in circles and crowds flooding the intersection.
When officers moved in, dozens of cars fled and several individuals allegedly jumped onto the hood of a police vehicle, cracking the windshield before taking off. No arrests have been made so far as investigators work to identify suspects.
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Just days earlier, mobs of young street racers swarmed a Georgia intersection in the middle of the night, wreaking havoc and disturbing neighbors.
WATCH: Street ‘takeover’ spirals into chaos as racers swarm roads
Atlanta police were dispatched to the intersection of James Jackson Parkway and Bolton Road around 1:30 a.m. Sunday, April 12, over reports of street racers “driving recklessly, blocking the roadway from citizen motorists, laying drag and performing illegal drifting maneuvers, also known as ‘donuts,’” authorities said in a statement.
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From coast to coast, law enforcement agencies are grappling with the same volatile mix of social media-fueled gatherings, reckless driving and swelling crowds — a trend officials warn can turn dangerous in seconds.
Fox News Digital’s Sarah Rumpf-Whitten and Landon Mion contributed to this report.