Wild photos show Miami Spring Break mayhem, officials make over 250 busts

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By Priscilla DeGregory

Wild photos show the chaos of Spring Break revelry in Miami Beach as officials confirmed they have busted over 250 partygoers despite dramatic preemptive crackdowns by the city, including a midnight curfew implemented over the weekend.

The hotspot for Spring Breakers implemented a curfew that began at 11:59 p.m. and continued until 6:00 a.m. from Friday through Monday.

The curfews came in response to last year’s mayhem that resulted in nearly 500 arrests, the seizure of 105 guns and two fatal shootings.

Despite the measures, cops in the party town have already made 256 Spring Break-related busts from March 1 to March 16, according to Christopher Bess, a spokesman with the Miami Beach Police Department.

Photos show some arrests made Friday as droves of scantily clad men and women raged for hours of rampant partying during the day and at night.

In preparation for the annual celebration, Gov. Ron DeSantis dispatched at least 140 state troopers to the locale, along with drones and license plate readers to proactively curb violence.

DeSantis vowed to crack down on crime for the event.

“We welcome people to come and have a good time. What we don’t welcome is criminal activity,”
DeSantis warned. “What we don’t welcome is mayhem and people who want to wreak havoc on our communities.”

And last month, the city announced in a messaging campaign that it is “breaking up with spring break.”

In a video for the campaign a woman warned, “This March, you can expect things like curfews, bag checks and restricted beach access, DUI checkpoints, $100 parking and strong police enforcement for drug possession and violence.”

The city experienced three years in a row of violence during the co-ed bash that inevitably devolved into anarchy.

In nearby Fort Lauderdale, roughly 10 spring break-related “isolated” arrests have been made from March 4 through March 12, in incidents involving disorderly conduct, drugs, thefts and battery of law enforcement, according to Fort Lauderdale Police Department spokesperson Casey Liening.

“Our spring break crowds have been as expected so far this year, with this week being the busiest week we are anticipating,” Liening said.

Liening added that they haven’t had “any major issue or disturbances” that would have forced mass arrests.