Controversial influencer Andrew Tate and his brother, Tristan, were arrested in Florida on Saturday by U.S. Marshals on behalf of authorities in the United Kingdom. The brothers are wanted in the UK to face extradition for a series of alleged sex offenses, including rape and human trafficking.
A video released following the arrest appears to show Andrew Tate attempting to pass his phone to a bodyguard as he is being handcuffed. It remains unclear if U.S. Marshals recovered the device.
Andrew Tate, 39, faces seven new counts of rape, as well as charges related to sex trafficking and indecent images of a child. His younger brother, Tristan, 38, has been charged with two new counts of rape and three counts of facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation. These new charges add to existing allegations against the brothers in the UK. Prior to this arrest, Andrew Tate was facing 10 charges in Britain, including rape, assault, human trafficking, and controlling prostitution. Tristan Tate was facing 11 charges, including rape, assault, and human trafficking.
Together, the dual UK-US nationals now face a combined total of 59 charges related to seven alleged victims. The brothers have been living in Romania since 2016, where they are also under criminal investigation for alleged rape, human trafficking, organized criminal activity, and money laundering.
British authorities decided to pursue the Tates when they learned the brothers were scheduled to fly to the U.S., as Romanian authorities had previously stated they could not extradite the siblings until their own domestic case was concluded. A formal application for extradition will now be submitted by British authorities to the U.S. government. The Tate brothers have the right to challenge the extradition request in court.
The Tates' attorney, Joseph D. McBride, has characterized the arrest as a "political hit job," alleging it was orchestrated by a "low-level functionary at the Department of Justice" without approval from higher leadership. McBride expressed confidence that the brothers would be released once the facts are presented to a judge, stating, "America does not do Britain’s political dirty work."
The Tate brothers have consistently denied all allegations against them in both the UK and Romania.