Controversial influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate were arrested Saturday in Miami, facing 59 new criminal charges that include child pornography, extreme pornography, and rape. The arrests occurred as U.S. Marshals placed Andrew Tate in handcuffs outside the James L Knight Center. A newly surfaced video clip appears to show Andrew Tate attempting to pass his phone to a bodyguard just before his apprehension. It remains unclear if law enforcement secured the device.
Authorities removed Tate's jewelry as he was taken into custody. His attorney, Joseph McBride, issued a statement denouncing the charges as a "political hit" orchestrated by those seeking to undermine the Tates' defamation case in the United States. "Their enemies know it best of all. That is exactly why they have been attacked," McBride stated, asserting the brothers' innocence and confidence in their eventual release.
The indictment alleges that Andrew, 39, and Tristan, 37, abused women between July 2010 and August 2017. Andrew faces seven counts of rape, three counts of facilitating sexual exploitation, three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and 19 charges related to indecent images of children and extreme pornography. Tristan is charged with one count of sexual assault, two counts of rape, and three counts of facilitating sexual exploitation.
The arrests come shortly after the Daily Mail reported that the Tate brothers met with Republican Representative Wesley Hunt in his congressional office in Washington D.C. They also attended a private event hosted by Paolo Zampolli, a former modeling agency executive and special envoy for Donald Trump. A source familiar with the Trump administration noted Zampolli's association with the Tates did not reflect official government sentiment.
Both Andrew and Tristan Tate are dual U.S. and British citizens who relocated to Romania in 2016. They gained a significant following, particularly among young men, promoting a lifestyle associated with luxury and misogynistic views. Andrew Tate, formerly a professional kickboxer, has amassed nearly 11 million followers on X, formerly Twitter.
The brothers were initially arrested in Romania in December 2022. By June 2023, they were formally charged with human trafficking and forming an organized crime group for sexual exploitation, with Andrew also charged with rape. In August 2024, Romanian prosecutors expanded their investigation to include charges of money laundering, witness intimidation, and complicity in the trafficking of minors. The UK's Crown Prosecution Service is seeking their extradition, and British prosecutors filed their own charges in May 2025 related to rape, actual bodily harm, and human trafficking.
Previously, Romanian courts ruled in 2024 that the Tates would be extradited to the UK after proceedings in Romania concluded. However, the Bucharest Court of Appeal sent the case back to prosecutors, excluding certain evidence deemed inadmissible. Prosecutors are continuing their investigation into the initial case and a separate criminal investigation launched in 2024 concerning organized crime, human trafficking, trafficking of minors, sexual intercourse with a minor, and money laundering.
Hours before his arrest, Andrew Tate posted on X, referencing the criminal investigation against him in Romania and suggesting authorities were monitoring his social media activity. He also shared a video from a party in Miami attended the previous evening.
The Tates are scheduled for processing at the federal courthouse in Miami on Monday, when the indictment is expected to be unsealed, according to a Department of Justice source.