Two Ohio brothers, Joseph and Joshua Lopez, were recently sentenced to jail in the United Arab Emirates for alcohol consumption, a crime that is strictly enforced in the Middle Eastern nation. The brothers, who were on a touristic visit to the UAE, claimed they were drugged during a yacht party and were targeted by scammers who wanted to rob them. Joseph Lopez, an Air Force veteran and influencer, had traveled to the UAE with his brother in hopes of generating luxurious content in the City of Gold.
During their trip, the brothers spent a night out at a nightclub before being approached by an Uber driver who offered to take them to an afterparty at a nearby hotel. They were given drinks and food they didn’t request and were ultimately presented with a massive bill. Subsequently, the brothers were invited to a yacht party where they were given more drinks and charged a significant amount before being offered another refreshment that they claimed led to them being drugged.
The brothers found themselves being taken away by plain-clothed police officers and brought to a police station where they remained from June 3 to June 12. Despite requesting that their blood be tested for drugs or sedatives, the police did not comply. As a result, the brothers were charged with assaulting an officer, resisting arrest, damaging a patrol vehicle, and alcohol consumption. They were given a travel ban preventing them from returning to the US.
The Lopez brothers are set to fight the charges of damaging government property and assaulting an officer in court on Aug. 20. With the help of their lawyers, they are preparing for a potential lengthy sentence, as the jails in the UAE are known for being some of the world’s most notorious prisons. Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, criticized the UAE for its treatment of tourists and called for diplomatic intervention from Ohio politicians to get the brothers home safely.
Stirling highlighted the risks the brothers face without diplomatic intervention, including potentially facing years in jails known for human rights abuses and torture. She emphasized that Joseph Lopez, as an Air Force veteran and mental health advocate, deserves every effort from the US government to bring him and his brother back home. Stirling has reached out to Ohio politicians for help, emphasizing the importance of diplomatic intervention in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the Lopez brothers, who had been staying in an Airbnb awaiting their fate.
