The former US airman, now a social media influencer, and his brother were held captive in Dubai for nearly two months, allegedly drugged and woken up in a police vehicle, and could face “several years” in prison.
Joseph Lopez and his brother Joshua Lopez reportedly embarked on a trip from Ohio to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on May 25, hoping to create luxury content in the Golden City. Fox 19 Now.
“I came here because I wanted to shoot some content and Dubai seems like a very attractive place,” Joseph Lopez said.
However, a week into their Middle East trip, their workcation turned into a real life nightmare.
The two brothers were out enjoying a night out after leaving Dubai’s Bura Bura nightclub on June 2nd when they were approached by an Uber driver who offered to take them to an “after party” at a nearby hotel. Arrested in Dubai — an organization that aims to help people facing legal issues in the UAE.
The couple agreed and were quickly escorted to the hotel and shown to the VIP section of the party, where platters of food and drinks were served to them without them having to ask.
About 20 minutes after they arrived, the party was over and the brothers were presented with a huge bill.
Joseph Lopez reluctantly agreed to pay the fee because he believed he had been deceived but didn’t want to rock the boat in a foreign country, “Arrested in Dubai” reported.
As the brothers were getting ready to call it a night, they were approached by a man who invited them to a yacht party.
“I’m not spending any money tonight,” explained the Air Force veteran, who had only retired nine months ago, and initially declined the offer, but the man insisted they were “American guests” and not to worry about money.
But things got worse once on board when the brothers were given drinks by staff and then charged $2,722 for the drinks, according to Dubai Detention.
“This girl brought me a drink and I don’t remember anything after she brought me the drink,” Joseph Lopez alleged to Fox 19 Now.
The social media influencer claimed that the rest of the night was only a blur for her and her brother, and that the woman “drugged” them.
In the early hours of June 3, the two brothers were attacked by men wearing black balaclavas, who spoke to them only in Arabic, and nearly threw them into an unmarked car, reported Arrested in Dubai.
The two brothers are said to have feared they might be kidnapped abroad and were trying to evade capture.
“The next thing I remember is I’m in the back seat of a car and my brother says, ‘Can I get you out of here?'” the former Air Force soldier told Fox 19 Now.
“My arms were all scraped up and I was like, ‘Where am I?’ I was in the back seat of my car and it was locked.”
The brothers soon found themselves in the back of a police car, and the men they feared were trying to abduct them were actually plainclothes police officers.
They were then taken to Al Barsha Police Station, about 12 miles from the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, and held there from the morning of their arrest until June 12, Detained in Dubai reported.
The two men, from Ohio, were charged with assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, damaging a police vehicle and drinking alcohol, a law that is strictly enforced in the Middle Eastern country.
But Joseph Lopez claims he and his brother were not subjected to breathalyzer tests within 24 hours of their arrest, and were not subjected to drug tests for four days after they were detained.
The brothers were eventually released on bail but were subject to travel bans that prevented them from returning to the United States.
“Unfortunately, they now face charges and prosecution that could see them jailed for several years,” Dubai Detention CEO Radha Sterling said. Fox 19 Now.
But even if the charges are dropped, Sterling fears the men could end up spending a long time in the desert.
“Legal processes in Dubai can drag on for months and punishment is often the process itself,” Stirling said. share.
“We hope that the UAE authorities will drop the investigation into Joseph and Joshua and move on to investigating those who may have been involved in crimes against tourists.”
Stirling Claim “Uber drivers” target foreign tourists, taking them to events under the false impression that they do not have to pay a fare and then committing fraud, while “plainclothes police officers often forcefully approach tourists, grabbing them without identifying themselves and threatening them,” the report said.
The brothers are living together in an Airbnb as they wait to see what happens next.
“I just want to go home,” says the influencer, who has more than 300,000 followers worldwide. Instagram and Tick tock He told the media.
“I want to go home and I want to go home soon.”
A State Department spokesperson told Fox 19 Now that there is “no higher priority” for the department than ensuring “the safety and security of American citizens trapped overseas.”
“We are aware of the arrest of a US national in the United Arab Emirates. We take our role in supporting Americans overseas seriously and are monitoring the situation.”
