They Organized Illegal Drag Racing Events, Police Say. Authorities Say That Led To Several Deaths.

Two Florida men were arrested on several charged related to illegal drag racing in Miami-Dade County, according to police.

Police arrested Michael D. Trillo, 20, of Miami, on Jan. 3 in connection to drag racing on the highway. He is charged with facilitating drag racing on a highway.

Eric Gotay, 31, of Plantation, Florida, wa arrested Jan. 7 in connection tto the incident. He is charged with 44 counts of facilitating drag racing on highways/roadways, along with charges of engaging in a riot, aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, aggravated fleeing, attempting to elude an officer after an accident, leaving the scene of an accident and driving with a suspended license.

Police say the Miami-Dade Department's Homeland Security Bureau started investigating the incident on Aug. 27. According to police, the men had long been involved in organized car meets “for the sole purpose of engaging in reckless and dangerous actions across our county, which include drag racing, burnouts, sliding, drifting and donuts.”

According to Gotay's arrest report, he organized and ran several “street takeovers and drifting shows" while admitting to police that he was in charge of various chat groups that organized the events.

Police say drivers would show up quickly to the locations Gotay shared online and he would “advise participants to block police from entering the location by using a bullhorn loudspeaker and/or texting a message in the chats for the participants to see.”

According to Local 10, police said those events have led to several shootings and vehicular manslaughters throughout the county.