US influencer jailed for police assault in Dubai

An American social media influencer and his brother have been jailed for three months for assaulting police while intoxicated on a night out in Dubai, officials told AFP on Thursday.

Joseph Lopez, an airforce veteran and Mister USA contender, and his brother Joshua were arrested for "assaulting Dubai Police officers, resisting arrest and damaging public property", the official Dubai Media Office said in a statement.

The "intoxicated" tourists were fined $1,428 and sentenced to three months in prison followed by deportation for injuring police and damaging a police vehicle while trying to flee, according to the statement sent to AFP.

According to Detained in Dubai, a UK-based group that campaigns against judicial abuse in the United Arab Emirates on behalf of expats and tourists, the Ohio natives were "drugged and robbed" during a yacht party in the Middle East glam hub.

"It is clear they were targeted by scammers who were wanting to rob them," said Radha Stirling, who heads the NGO.

"They were given one drink onboard the yacht and the next thing they remember is being taken away by plain-clothed police officers," she added.

The brothers "didn't realise the men were plain-clothed police officers", Stirling said, explaining that they thought they were being abducted.

UAE authorities did not give details of the arrest.

Joseph Lopez, 24, has more than 100,000 followers on Instagram and holds the title of Mister Louisiana.

He was due to compete at Mister USA 2024 but his Dubai arrest appears to have dashed his chances of attending the pageant, which will be held in November.

Dubai is the main tourist centre of the UAE, a tightly controlled federation of seven sheikhdoms that has a zero-tolerance policy for drug consumption and drinking in unlicensed properties.