Tate Brothers Fighting Extradition to UK, Lawyer Says

Andrew and Tristan Tate are fighting extradition to the United Kingdom, where they are accused of rape and sex trafficking, their lawyer said after a court hearing on July 20 in Florida.

The brothers, who are social media influencers, were arrested on Saturday.

The Tates appeared in federal court Monday for the first time since their arrest on Saturday and are being held in federal detention. In the coming weeks, a U.S. district judge will consider whether they meet the conditions for extradition. U.S. Magistrate Lauren Louis set another hearing for July 27.

“We are of course objecting to extradition because Andrew and Tristan are innocent,” the brothers’ lawyer, Joseph 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.

The ultimate decision about whether to order the extradition will fall to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

UK prosecutors said on Sunday that they are prosecuting Andrew Tate, 39, on more than two dozen counts, including rape, assault, and arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation, on top of previously announced charges.

Tristan Tate, 38, is being prosecuted for an additional one count of sexual assault, two counts of rape, and three counts of sex trafficking. He had been facing 11 counts, including three counts of rape.

The alleged incidents took place between July 2010 and August 2017.

“There is no place for male violence against women and girls in our society, and we will continue to work tirelessly to support victims and investigate all reports made to us,” Karena Thomas, a police official in Bedfordshire, said in a video statement.

The Crown Prosecution Service said it has requested extradition of the Tates and that the defendants have the right to a fair trial.

Andrew and Tristan Tate, who are dual U.S.-British citizens, have millions of followers online and post about a range of subjects, including kickboxing, financial wealth, and masculinity.

They were arrested in 2022 in Romania and accused of participating in criminal 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. The case hasn’t been closed, and there is also a separate legal case against the brothers in Romania.

British police had sought the Tates’ extradition to the UK once their legal proceedings in Romania concluded.

But in February 2025, they were allowed to leave Romania after authorities lifted travel restrictions, and they flew to Florida on a private jet.

McBride said on Sunday that “there is a long-standing agreement between the UK and Romanian governments that the UK would not seek extradition while the Romanian proceedings are pending” and that the arrests of his clients violated that agreement.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.