Andrew and Tristan Tate fight extradition in court after Miami arrest
Tue 21 Jul 2026 at 8:16am
In short:
Andrew and Tristan Tate have appeared in a US federal court where they face extradition to the United Kingdom on rape and sex trafficking charges.
The brothers' attorney said their weekend arrest was politically motivated after the pair met with "friends" in Washington, DC.
What's next?
The matter will return to court on July 27.
Social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate will fight extradition to the United Kingdom where the brothers are accused of rape and sex trafficking, their lawyer has said.
The Tate brothers appeared in federal court on Monday, local time, for the first time since their weekend arrest and are being held in federal detention.
In the coming weeks, a US district judge will consider whether they meet the conditions for extradition.
US magistrate Lauren Louis set another hearing for July 27.
The brothers, through their social media empire promoting wealth, male dominance and misogyny, are among the world's most polarising internet personalities.
Normally photographed in tailored suits and fitted shirts, they wore tan jail uniforms and handcuffs during the brief hearing in which neither said a word.
Their attorney, Joseph McBride, said they should remain in the US.
"We are, of course, objecting to extradition because Andrew and Tristan are innocent," Mr McBride said after the hearing.
"They've never done nothing wrong. They shouldn't be extradited for crimes they did not commit."
Mr McBride said the brothers were surprised when they were arrested in Miami on Saturday and that the attempt to have them extradited was politically motivated.
"There's no question about it," he told reporters.
Without providing any details, Mr McBride said the Tates' case "had a lot to do with" former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's decision to step down, and said it was no coincidence the brothers were arrested after meeting "friends in Washington, DC".
"We went to see our Congress people in DC, and now we're getting arrested. This feels political," Mr McBride said.
He did not specify who the pair met with or what was discussed.
Prosecutors in Britain said the new charges relate to four new victims and were brought after authorities received evidence from Bedfordshire Police in south-eastern England.
The allegations, spanning 2010 to 2017, include rape, assault, trafficking and offences relating to "indecent images of a child and extreme pornography".
Mr McBride said none of the latest accusers have been identified, adding: "We'd like to know who's accused Andrew and Tristan of what."
The brothers are already charged with rape, bodily harm, human trafficking and controlling prostitution for gain relating to three other alleged victims in the UK between 2012 and 2015.
Their lawyer said in a statement on Saturday that he believed the arrests were "green-lighted by a low-level functionary" at the Justice Department without input from leadership.
The Justice Department told The Associated Press that the arrests were approved by leadership of its Criminal Division.
The new allegations are the latest in a long-running international legal saga involving the Tates that has spanned the US, Britain and Romania.
The brothers have repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
Loading...The dual US and British citizens moved to Romania in 2016 and were arrested there in 2022, accused of participating in schemes to lure women for sexual exploitation.
They denied those allegations, and the Romanian case has not gone forward because of legal and procedural problems.
Last year, they were allowed to leave Romania and flew to Florida.
The former professional kickboxers have millions of followers on social media and are vocal supporters of US President Donald Trump.
Andrew Tate, 39, first became known a decade ago when he was a contestant on the UK reality television show Big Brother.
He was booted from the show when a video appeared to show him assaulting a woman.
He has amassed over 10 million followers on X but has been banned from other platforms, including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, for violating hate speech guidelines.
Andrew Tate has made widely condemned comments, such as saying women who are sexually assaulted should bear some responsibility for the attacks and sharing graphic descriptions of how he might attack women.
The Tate brothers have consistently denied allegations of abuse and human trafficking, claiming their violent and misogynistic statements have been taken out of context or were intended as jokes.
AP