An Air Force veteran, and current Mr Louisiana title holder, is facing jail in Dubai after claiming he was drugged on a night out before being arrested by plain clothes cops while on holiday.
Joseph Lopez, who was also being considered for the prestigious Mr USA title, may now not be able to compete following his arrest.
The B-52 mechanic and Honor Guardsman left the military nine months ago and began advocating for mental health on social media with fans saying he ‘tries to inspire and make people laugh and feel related to’.
Lopez jetted out for a two-week-long vacation in Dubai before he was set to begin his preparations for the beauty pageant.
But on June 2, he and his brother, Joshua, visited a popular Dubai club called Bla Bla but the night ended in unexpected horror.
Joseph Lopez, the current Mr Louisiana title holder and Air Force veteran, was arrested in Dubai after a night out ended in him and his brother getting ‘drugged’ following a night out
Lopez (left) pictured with his brother Joshua (right) before the pair were arrested by plain clothes officers donning ‘black ski masks’ on June 3
An Uber reportedly approached the brothers while they stood outside the club and suggested the pair attend an after party at a nearby hotel.
Lopez and Joshua agreed to the offer and were taken directly to the VIP section where they were presented with platters of food, sparklers, and drinks that the brother’s had not requested.
Around 20 minutes later, as the venue was closing, Lopez was reportedly handed a bill that he paid in full – despite feeling as if he had been scammed.
‘Uber drivers and other promoters are paid by some venues to bring tourists in,’ said Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai.
‘In this case, it appears they have gone a step further by forcing food and beverages onto them while making them appear to be free’.
Despite Lopez’s suspicions rising following his hefty, unexpected bill, he explained how he was then invited to a yacht by a partygoer before explaining he was ‘done spending for the night’.
But the unnamed man persevered – telling Lopez and Joshua that they would be his ‘American guests’.
Ultimately, the brother’s agreed and once they boarded the luxury vessel, they were provided with a drink that staff later attempted to charge them over $2,700 for – but Lopez refused several times.
The social media influencer then claimed he and his brother began feeling strange, before they were allegedly confronted by a group of Arabic-speaking men donning black ski masks.
They tried to throw the brothers into the back of a vehicle and Lopez admitted he thought they were being abducted.
‘They didn’t realise the men were plain clothed police officers’, Stirling explained.
‘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’.
The social media influencer left the military nine months ago and beacme a mental health advocate. Pictured: Lopez pictured in Dubai in an Instagram post, uploaded on May 27
The terrified brothers were taken to Al Barsha where they were held overnight and detained until June 12.
They had told officers upon arrival that they had been drugged but police allegedly refused to test them.
The pair were reportedly not breathalyzed for at least 24 hours, but several days later, authorities took a urine sample – once any drug residue had left their bodies.
‘Police usually take samples immediately on arrival to preserve evidence against the detainee,’ Stirling said.
‘It’s highly unusual and suspicious to wait several days for a test, particularly when they have been told about the concerns’.
According to Lopez, fellow cellmates revealed to the brothers that it is common in Dubai for visitors to be drugged on purpose and taken advantage of.
Joseph and Joshua were given bail with a travel ban on June 12.
They are not allowed to leave the country – despite the pair not being officially charged with any offences.
The decision now rests with the prosecutor but they have reportedly been considering charging the brothers with alcohol consumption, resisting arrest and damage to the patrol vehicle before they realised the masked men were police.
‘The legal process in Dubai can be drawn out for months and often the punishment is the process,’ Stirling 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’.
Joseph hopes he can leave the country, continue his work in mental health and run for Mr USA.
If convicted, he faces years in Dubai’s notorious jails where countless foreigners have been beaten, tortured and even killed.
