A former US airman-turned-social media influencer and his brother have been trapped in Dubai for nearly two months and are possibly facing “several years” in prison after allegedly being “drugged” and waking up inside a police car.
Joseph Lopez and his brother, Joshua Lopez, set out on their trip from Ohio to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on May 25, hoping to generate luxurious content in the City of Gold, according to Fox 19 Now.
“I came out here because I wanted to shoot content and Dubai seems like this very glamorous place,” Joseph Lopez said.
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However, over a week into their Middle Eastern getaway, their workcation became a “real-life nightmare.”
The two brothers were enjoying a night out in Dubai when they were leaving the nightclub Bla Bla on June 2 and were approached by an Uber driver who offered to take them to an “afterparty” at a nearby hotel, according to Detained in Dubai, an organization dedicated to helping people facing legal issues in the UAE.
The pair agreed and were immediately taken to the hotel and brought to the VIP section of the party, where platters of food and drinks were given to them without their request.
About 20 minutes after arriving, the party ended, and the brothers were slapped with a massive bill.
Joseph Lopez, believing they were being duped — but not wanting to ruffle any feathers in the foreign country — reluctantly agreed to pay the bill, Detained in Dubai reported.
The brothers were gearing up to call it a night when they were reportedly approached by a man who invited them to a yacht party.
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The Air Force veteran — who only left the military nine months ago — explained that he was “done spending for the night” and initially declined the offer, but the man insisted they were “American guests” and not to worry about spending money.
But once on the boat, the brothers were given drinks by staff and later charged $2,722 for the refreshments before things went from bad to worse, according to Detained in Dubai.
“This girl brought me a drink, and after she brought me this drink, I don’t remember anything,” Joseph Lopez claimed to Fox 19 Now.
The social media influencer said the rest of the night for him and his brother was a blur, claiming the woman “drugged” them.
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It wasn’t until later in the early morning of June 3 that the two brothers were allegedly confronted by men in black ski masks speaking to them strictly in Arabic and who tried to throw them into an unmarked vehicle, Detained in Dubai reported.
Fearing they were in danger of being abducted on foreign soil, the two brothers allegedly tried to evade capture.
“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?’” the former airman claimed to 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 soon discovered they were in the back of a police car, and the men they feared were trying to kidnap them were actually plainclothes police officers.
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They were taken to the Al Barsha police station — about 12 miles from the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa — and held there from the morning of their arrest until June 12, Detained in Dubai reported.
The Ohio natives were both charged with assaulting an officer, resisting arrest, damaging a patrol vehicle, and alcohol consumption — a law that is strictly enforced in the Middle Eastern nation.
But Joseph Lopez claims he and his brother were neither given a breathalyzer test within 24 hours after their arrest nor tested for drugs for four days even though they were in custody.
The brothers were eventually given and made bail but were slapped with a travel ban, which prevented them from returning to the US.
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“Unfortunately, they’re both now facing potential charges and prosecution that could leave them both in prison for several years,”Detained in DubaiCEO Radha Stirling told Fox 19 Now.
However, even if the charges are dropped, Stirling fears the men could spend a lengthy time in the desert country.
“The legal process in Dubai can be drawn out for months and often the punishment is the process,” Stirling shared.
“We hope authorities in the UAE drop the investigation against Joseph and Joshua and move to investigate those potentially involved in crimes against tourists.”
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Stirling claims that “Uber drivers” target foreign tourists to bring them to events where they are scammed under the illusion that they won’t need to pay and that “plainclothed police officers often forcefully approach tourists, grab them and intimidate them without identifying themselves.”
The brothers are shacked up in an Airbnb while waiting to find out what will happen next.
“I just want to go home,” the influencer, who has a following of over 300K across Instagram and TikTok, told the outlet.
“Like I want to go home, and I want to go home soon.”
A US State Department spokesperson told Fox 19 Now that the department has “no higher priority” than assuring the “safety and security of US citizens” trapped 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.”
