Andrew, Tristan Tate Fight Extradition While Held in US Jail on UK Charges
Legal Proceedings and Extradition Battle Overview
MIAMI, July 27 (Reuters) - Social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate will press for their release from a U.S. jail as they fight the British government's efforts to extradite them to face charges of rape, assault and facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation, the brothers' lawyers told reporters on Monday.
Andrew Tate, 39, and Tristan Tate, 38, were arrested in Miami on July 18. Britain's Crown Prosecution Service said on July 19 it had brought new charges against the brothers relating to alleged offenses involving four alleged victims between July 2010 and August 2017.
The Tate brothers, both former kickboxers who have dual U.S. and British citizenship, have denied any wrongdoing. They are being held in a federal jail in Miami as a U.S. judge weighs Britain's extradition request.
The arrests marked a new chapter in the widening legal troubles for the brothers, who have built a large online following promoting their views on masculinity and wealth. Andrew Tate has previously described himself as a misogynist.
Previous Charges and Legal History
Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate had previously faced rape and human trafficking charges in Britain related to three alleged victims, the Crown Prosecution Service said. A British judge issued a warrant for their arrests in January 2024. They have not appeared in British court to enter a plea to those charges.
Britain is seeking to extradite the brothers to face both sets of charges.
Detention and Bail Proceedings
Detention Hearing on August 13
Prosecutors with the Miami U.S. Attorney's Office said in court papers that U.S. Magistrate Judge Lauren Louis should keep the brothers detained because there was a risk they could flee and because they posed dangers to the community.
Joseph McBride, a lawyer for the Tate brothers, denied that the brothers were a flight risk, noting that they had attended their required court hearings in Romania, where they have been under criminal investigation since 2022 on human trafficking allegations.
Defense Arguments
"Innocent men don't flee from justice. Innocent men lean in to justice because justice vindicates them at the end of the day," McBride told reporters outside the federal courthouse in Miami after a status conference before Louis.
The brothers will file a legal motion seeking their release on bail by August 5, and a hearing over their bid for release will take place on August 13, defense lawyer Jacqueline Perczek said.
Extradition Process and Decision
Rubio to Decide on Extradition
The legal process for determining whether the Tate brothers may be extradited could take months. Britain has until September 16 to submit its full extradition request to the State Department, U.S. court records show.
Louis or any other judge who takes up the Tate brothers' case would be responsible for determining whether Britain has supplied enough evidence to provide probable cause that the brothers have committed the crimes of which they are accused, prosecutors said in court papers.
It would then be up to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to decide whether they should be extradited, the prosecutors said.
Rubio's Position
Rubio told reporters in Manila on July 22 that he did not expect to intervene in the case for now.
"There's no role for us to play at this moment or maybe ever," Rubio said.
(Reporting by Jose Perez in MiamiWriting by Luc CohenEditing by Matthew Lewis)
