Ohio Air Force veteran Joseph Lopez and his brother, Joshua, have finally returned home after being unjustly detained in a Dubai jail for four months. The brothers were released thanks to the intervention of Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance. Lopez spoke about his ordeal and the deplorable conditions in the Dubai prison on "Fox & Friends First."
Joseph Lopez, an Ohio Air Force veteran and father, and his brother, Joshua, endured a living nightmare in a Dubai jail for four long months after being drugged and detained. But thanks to the tireless efforts of Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance, the brothers have finally been released and reunited with their loved ones.
Ohio Brothers Freed from Dubai Jail with JD Vance's Help
Lopez shared his harrowing experience on "Fox & Friends First," describing the moment he realized he had been drugged and robbed. "I think it happened to me because I was obviously an American," Lopez said. "When you're in a place like Dubai, they see Americans and people see money, and basically they tried to extort me, and it didn't go the way they wanted, and I got drugged."
Despite having no memory of the incident, Lopez was charged with assaulting an officer, resisting arrest, damaging a patrol vehicle, and alcohol consumption. His insistence that he had been drugged and robbed fell on deaf ears. "I took a breathalyzer," Lopez said. "My breathalyzer showed 0.00 by the time it was taken. Now I have these charges I have no memory of, and these charges... some of them could potentially be 15 plus years... so it's like this is my entire life that I'm talking about here over something I have no memory of."
Ohio Brothers Freed from Dubai Jail with JD Vance's Help
The conditions in the Dubai jail were appalling, with "infested with cockroaches" beds and no access to basic necessities like toothbrushes and soap. "Literally, they drained me of every penny I had, put me into debt, and then eventually they sentenced us to three months in prison," Lopez said.
Vance's office worked tirelessly with the State Department to secure the pair's release. "Sen. Vance’s office has been in constant communication with the State Department, the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the United States and the constituents’ family," Vance's spokesperson, Parker Magid, told Fox News Digital.
Ohio Brothers Freed from Dubai Jail with JD Vance's Help
Lopez expressed his gratitude to Vance and his team for their unwavering support. "JD Vance's office, the support of the world and... my communities on social media and my family, they weren't letting this go," Lopez said. "The UAE knew for a fact that... what they were getting out of me, it just wasn't worth the trouble."
The Lopez brothers' ordeal highlights the dangers of traveling to foreign countries, especially for Americans. It also underscores the importance of having strong diplomatic ties and the need for international cooperation in protecting the rights of citizens abroad.
Ohio Brothers Freed from Dubai Jail with JD Vance's Help
