Two Ohio natives are staying in an Airbnb in Dubai but they’re no longer on a luxurious vacation — they’re living a real-life nightmare.
Joseph Lopez, an Air Force veteran turned social media influencer and his brother Joshua Lopez traveled to the United Arab Emirates on May 25 in hopes of capturing content with the country’s glamorous backdrops, according to Fox 19 Now.
Joseph Lopez, who left the military nine months ago and began advocating for mental health, is the “Mr. Louisiana” title holder and was preparing to complete for “Mr. USA” and eventually “Mr. Universe.”
But the trip took an unprecedented turn a week after a night out at the Bla Bla nightclub in Dubai.
The brothers were leaving the club on June 2 when they were approached by an ” Uber driver” who offered to take them to an “afterparty” at a hotel, according to Detained in Dubai, an organization that aims to help people experiencing legal issues in the UAE.
The brothers got in the vehicle and were taken to the party’s VIP section where they were provided platters of food and drinks – then slapped with a massive bill 20 minutes later. Joseph Lopez, who has over 300,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok, told the outlet he didn’t want to start any trouble in a foreign country so he agreed to pay it.
When leaving the afterparty, the brothers claim they were again approached by a different man who invited them to a yacht party. Joseph Lopez reportedly declined, telling the man he was “done spending for the night” but the man insisted that the duo were “American guests” and didn’t need to pay.
The brothers agreed to experience the yacht party where they were given drinks by staff and charged $2,722 for them before they were “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. “Basically, she drugged us.”
In the early hours of July 3, the brothers claim they were confronted by men in black ski masks who were speaking Arabic and tried to put them in an unmarked vehicle, Detained in Dubai reported. Thinking they were being abducted, the brothers tried to escape.
“The next thing I remember, I’m in the back of a car and my brother says, ‘Do you want me to get you out of here?'” Joseph Lopez told Fox 19 Now. “My arms were all scraped up and stuff and I’m like, ‘Where am I?’ I’m in the back of a car that’s locked.”
The brothers eventually realized they were in the back of a police car and that the men in ski masks were plainclothes police officers. They were taken to the Al Barhsa police station where they were held until June 12.
“Their lives were in danger so they tried to break free. They didn’t realize the men were plain-clothed police officers,” Detained in Dubai CEO Radha Stirling wrote on the organization’s website.
“Plain-clothed police officers often forcefully approach tourists, grab them, and intimidate them without identifying themselves. Of course, the tourist is going to defend themselves to what they perceive to be assault or worse. They end up unfairly being charged with resisting arrest or assault of a police officer. This shouldn’t happen,” she added.
The Lopez brothers have not been officially charged but are facing charges of assaulting an officer, resisting arrest, damaging a patrol vehicle, and alcohol consumption.
Joseph Lopez claims the brothers were never given breathalyzer tests nor tested for drugs during their days behind bars. They were eventually able to make bail with a travel band, meaning they can’t return to the US.
“I want to go home, and I want to go home soon,” Joseph told Fox 19 Now.
Stirling told the outlet that the brothers are facing “prosecution that could leave them both in prison for several years.” Even if the charges are dropped, Sterling says they could still spend quite a bit of time in Dubai.
“The legal process in Dubai can be drawn out for months and often the punishment is the process,” she said. “We hope authorities in the UAE drop the investigation against Joseph and Joshua and move to investigate those potentially involved in crimes against tourists.”
A US State Department spokesperson told Fox 19 Now, “We have no higher priority than the safety and security of US citizens abroad. We are aware of the arrest of a US citizen in the United Arab Emirates. We take our role in assisting US citizens abroad seriously and are monitoring the situation. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment at this time.”
Newsweek has contacted Uber, Stirling, and the US State Department for comment.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
