Influencer, model and veteran and his brother freed from notorious Dubai jail after being 'drugged' at party

Military veteran Joseph Lopez, aged 24, who is also a Mr USA model, and his brother Joshua Lopez, who is also current Mr Louisiana, had been locked up in one of the world’s most notorious jails after a night out went “horribly wrong”, their lawyers said.

The pair were on a tourist trip to the Emirates when they were invited onboard the yacht for a party. They claim they had “one drink” and the next thing they remember was being taken away by an unmarked police car which caused them to fear they were being abducted.

Their lawyers say the brothers, who are from Ohio, United States, were sentenced to one month in prison for drinking alcohol. Joseph and Joshua claimed they were both drugged and beaten during the incident.

Posting on Instagram about his ordeal, Joseph wrote: "You tried to steal my future, took my entire life savings and put me into debt, drug my family through this mess, jailed me, imprisoned me . . .

"I just lived something that is going to sound like a movie to many, and now I will share my experience with you to the world, and the experience of others who do not deserve such things.

"To everyone who fought for my freedom, thank you from the bottom of my heart, yesterday we were in prison, and now we are standing on American soil, thank you to all those who didn’t give up on us."

In a follow-up post, he added: “This experience was an absolute emotional roller coaster and honestly probably psychologically damaging.”

Announcing their release, Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, who represented the family, said: “I am pleased to announce veteran Joseph Lopez and his brother, Joshua have arrived safely in Ohio after a short Dubai vacation turned into a terrible nightmare.

"Joseph and Joshua Lopez were sentenced to jail after being lured and drugged at a Dubai yacht party. Their ordeal should serve as a warning to tourists who are under the mistaken belief that the UAE is completely safe.

"Joseph and Joshua were targeted, lured and drugged while trying to enjoy a harmless vacation. This kind of crime is only spoken about when raised by victims. It is unlikely any of the people involved in this incident will be charged and highly likely they will continue targeting tourists."

Stirling added: “I thank Senator JD Vance who was highly supportive of his constituents and keen to get them home as fast as possible. With the combined support of Senator Vance and a strong campaign, the Lopez brothers managed to escape the prison sentence they’d been served. Without such an effective campaign, they would likely have been locked up for a minimum of six months which could have expanded to two years or more.

“I am truly happy to see these wonderful men home and safe with their families. It’s been a privilege to help them achieve their well deserved freedom.”