Social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate will challenge their extradition to the United Kingdom, their lawyer said on Monday, after the brothers were arrested in the United States on allegations of rape and sexual trafficking.
US court proceedings and extradition challenge
According to the Associated Press (AP), the brothers made their first appearance in federal court since being detained on Saturday and are being held in a federal detention centre.
In the coming weeks, a US district judge is due to consider whether they meet the legal requirements for extradition.
Their lawyer, Joseph McBride, dismissed the allegations as "filth and slander".
On Sunday, McBride said he was confident the extradition request would be refused.
Federal magistrate Lauren Louis has scheduled another hearing for next Monday.
UK allegations and timeline
UK prosecutors said the latest charges relate to four new victims and were filed after authorities received evidence from Bedfordshire Police in south-east England.
The allegations, spanning 2010 to 2017, include rape, assault, human trafficking and offences linked to "indecent images of children and extreme pornography".
The brothers are already facing allegations in the UK involving three other complainants, covering 2012 to 2015, including rape, actual bodily harm, human trafficking and the exploitation of prostitution for profit.
Wider legal saga involving Andrew and Tristan Tate
In a statement on Saturday, their lawyer claimed he believes the arrests were "authorised by a low-level official" at the Department of Justice, without senior leadership being involved.
However, the Department of Justice told the AP that the arrests had been approved by the leadership of its criminal division.
These new allegations are the latest development in a prolonged international legal saga surrounding the Tate brothers, spanning the United States, the United Kingdom and Romania. The brothers have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
Their social media empire, which promotes wealth, male dominance and misogyny, has turned them into two of the internet’s most controversial figures.
The pair, who hold dual US and British citizenship, moved to Romania in 2016. They were arrested there in 2022 and accused of being involved in schemes to lure women for sexual exploitation.
They denied those allegations, and the Romanian case did not proceed because of legal and procedural problems.
Last year, they were allowed to leave Romania and travelled to Florida.
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