Two Ohio brothers , including an Air Force veteran turned influencer, were sentenced to a month in jail in the United Arab Emirates for alcohol consumption after claiming they were drugged during a yacht party , reported the New York Post. Joseph and Joshua Lopez were reportedly on a touristic visit to the UAE in June when the incident occurred. Joseph Lopez, who is currently Mister Louisiana in the Mister USA competition, travelled to the UAE with his brother on May 25 intending to create luxurious content in Dubai.
On June 2, the brothers spent a night at nightclub Bla Bla before being approached by an Uber driver who invited them to an afterparty at a nearby hotel. They were served food and drinks they did not request and handed a massive bill after 20 minutes. “It is clear they were targeted by scammers who were wanting to rob them,” Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, wrote on the organization’s website.
Targeted by scammers: How the brothers ended up with a hefty bill After deciding to leave the hotel, the brothers were approached by another man who invited them to a yacht party. Joseph Lopez explained, “I was done spending for the night,” but the man insisted they were “American guests” and assured them they would not have to spend money. Onboard the yacht, they were served more drinks and subsequently charged $2,722.
A woman then offered them another drink, which they believe was drugged. “This girl brought me a drink, and after she brought me this drink, I don’t remember anything,” Joseph Lopez told Fox 19 Now. Stirling elaborated, “They were given one drink onboard the yacht, and the next thing they remember is being taken away by plain-clothed police officers in an unmarked vehicle.
” From yacht party to police custody The brothers believed they were being abducted but were taken to Al Barsha police station, where they remained from June 3 to June 12. Despite their requests, police did not test their blood for drugs or sedatives. “The police did not test their blood for the presence of any drugs or sedatives despite the boys’ request for them to do so,” Stirling wrote.
Police charged the brothers with assaulting an officer, resisting arrest, damaging a patrol vehicle, and alcohol consumption. They were released on bond but were subjected to a travel ban, preventing them from returning to the US. The brothers are set to fight the damaging government property and assault charges in court on August 20.
Lawyers for the brothers anticipate a lengthy sentence for these charges, with Stirling describing UAE jails as “some of the world’s most notorious prisons.” Calls for intervention: US politicians urged to step in Stirling criticised the UAE’s treatment of tourists, saying, “The government portrays that Dubai is a safe and crime-free destination for tourists, but the fact is, we see tourists targeted all the time. Whether it's financial predators looking to scam visitors like Joseph and Joshua or attacks on women like Selina Waterman Smith, who was abducted and gang-raped.
” “The government doesn’t seem to acknowledge crimes in the statistics they provide to the media or tourists. It’s a myth that Dubai is crime-free. They just don’t acknowledge it as it’s bad for business.
” In a series of posts on X, Stirling has called on Ohio politicians, including Republican Rep. Mike Carey, and Sens. Sherrod Brown and JD Vance, for diplomatic intervention to secure the brothers’ return to the US.
“Without diplomatic intervention, these boys face potentially years in jails notorious for human rights abuse and torture,” she wrote. “Joseph Lopez is an Air Force veteran who helps people in difficult situations through his mental health advocacy. He and his brother deserve every effort from the US government to bring him home”, she further said.
Until their court date, the brothers have been staying in an Airbnb as they await their fate..
