‘This feels political’: Tate brothers to fight extradition to UK on rape, sex trafficking charges

‘This feels political’: Tate brothers to fight extradition to UK on rape, sex trafficking charges Updated ,first published Miami: 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 said, suggesting their arrest in Miami was politically motivated without explaining why. The Tates appeared in federal court Monday (US time) for the first time since their arrest on Saturday (Sunday AEST) 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 Monday, July 27. The brothers, normally photographed in tailored suits and stylish fitted shirts, wore tan jail uniforms and handcuffs during the brief hearing. Neither brother said a word during the hearing. Their attorney, Joseph McBride, insisted they should remain in the US. “We are, of course, objecting to extradition because Andrew and Tristan are innocent,” McBride said after the hearing. “They’ve never done nothing wrong. They shouldn’t be extradited for crimes they did not commit.” The brothers were surprised when they were arrested, McBride said, adding that the attempt to have them extradited was politically motivated. “There’s no question about it,” he told reporters. He suggested the Tates’ case “had a lot to do with” former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s decision to step down, without providing any details, and said it was no coincidence that 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,” McBride said. He didn’t specify who the pair met with or what was discussed. On Sunday, McBride said he was confident the extradition request would be denied. Prosecutors in Britain said the new charges relate to four new alleged victims and were brought after authorities received evidence from Bedfordshire Police in southeastern England. The allegations, spanning 2010 to 2017, include rape, assault, trafficking and offences relating to “indecent images of a child and extreme pornography”. 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 “greenlighted 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. Their social media empire promoting wealth, male dominance and misogyny has made them among the world’s most polarising internet personalities. The dual US and British citizens moved to Romania in 2016. They were arrested there in 2022, accused of participating in schemes to lure women for sexual exploitation. They denied those allegations and the Romanian case hasn’t 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 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. The self-described misogynist 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 for violating hate speech guidelines, including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. He 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 Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter.