Tate brothers fight to be extradited to UK after jailed for sex crimes – National
Social media activists Andrew and Tristan Tate will fight extradition to the United Kingdom where the brothers are accused of rape and sex trafficking, their lawyer said Monday, suggesting their arrest in Miami was politically motivated without explaining why.
The Tates appeared in court on Monday for the first time since their arrest on Saturday and are being held in custody. In the coming weeks, a US district judge will consider whether they meet the criteria for extradition. US Magistrate Lauren Louis issued another indictment on Monday July 27.
The brothers, who are often photographed in tailored suits and fitted shirts, wore red prison uniforms and handcuffs during the hearing. Neither brother said anything during the trial.
Their lawyer, Joseph McBride, insisted that they should stay in the US
“We are very much against it being sent back because Andrew and Tristan are innocent,” McBride said after the hearing. “They have never done anything bad. They should not be sent back to the country for crimes they did not commit.”
The brothers were surprised when they were arrested, said McBride, adding that the effort to get them back was politically motivated. “There is no question about it,” he told reporters.
He suggested that the Tates case was “closely related” to former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's decision to step down, without giving details, and said it was no mistake that the brothers were arrested after meeting with “friends in Washington, DC.”
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“We went to see our congressmen in DC and now we're being arrested. This sounds political,” McBride said. He did not specify who they met and what was discussed.
On Sunday, McBride said he hoped the extradition request would be denied.
Prosecutors in Britain said the new charges against the four victims were brought after authorities received evidence from police in Bedfordshire in southeast England. The allegations, from 2010 to 2017, include rape, assault, trafficking and charges related to “child pornography and extreme sexual pornography.”
McBride said no recent accusers have been identified, adding that “we would like to know who is accusing Andrew and Tristan of what.”
The brothers have been charged with rape, grievous bodily harm, human trafficking and controlling prostitution for profit in relation to other alleged victims in the UK between 2012 and 2015.
Their lawyer said in a statement on Saturday that he believed the arrest was “lightened by a low-level employee” at the Department of Justice without comment from the leadership. The Department of Justice told the Associated Press that their arrest was authorized by the leadership of its criminal division.
The new allegations are the latest in a long-running international legal case involving the Tates involving the United States, Britain and Romania. The brothers have repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
Their social media empire that promotes wealth, male dominance and misogyny has made them among the most divisive internet personalities in the world.
Two US and British citizens immigrated to Romania in 2016. They were arrested there in 2022, accused of participating in schemes to attract women for sexual exploitation. They denied those allegations and the Romanian case did not proceed due to legal and procedural issues.
Last year, they were allowed to leave Romania and fly to Florida.
The former professional boxer has millions of followers on social media and is a fan of President Donald Trump.
Andrew Tate, 39, first became famous ten years ago when he became a contestant on the UK television show “Big Brother.” He was removed from the show when a video appeared showing him beating a woman.
He has amassed more than 10 million followers on X but has been banned from other platforms for violating hate speech guidelines, including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. He has made widely criticized comments, such as that women who have been sexually assaulted should take responsibility for the attacks and share clear explanations of how he can attack women.
The Tate brothers have always denied allegations of abuse and human trafficking, saying their violent and abusive statements were taken out of context or were intended as jokes.
Associated Press reporters Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington, DC, and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed.
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