The Trump administration has indicated it will not intervene in the extradition case of Andrew and Tristan Tate, who are facing charges in the United Kingdom related to rape, sex trafficking, and indecent images of children. The brothers were arrested in Miami on Saturday at the request of British detectives.
Speculation had arisen that Donald Trump might assist the Tate brothers due to their claims of close ties to the former president and his family. However, a U.S. official stated that the White House has no involvement in the matter. The final decision on extradition rests with Secretary of State Marco Rubio after a court in Florida examines the case.
Andrew Tate faces seven counts of rape, three counts of arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation, three counts of assault, and 19 additional charges related to indecent images of a child and extreme pornography. Tristan Tate is charged with one count of sexual assault, two counts of rape, and three counts of arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation.
The charges stem from allegations involving multiple women. Unsealed court records detail accusations that Andrew Tate choked a woman until she was unconscious before raping her in 2015. Another woman alleges he choked her to the point of fearing for her life during a later visit to her home in 2014. Tristan Tate is accused of choking, beating, and raping his then-girlfriend between 2012 and 2013, with the accuser reporting he routinely strangled her until she blacked out.
The British government is seeking the extradition of the dual U.S.-UK citizens to face an original 21 charges, along with new allegations involving four women between July 2010 and August 2017. The Crown Prosecution Service has stated that the charging decisions followed new evidence from police, bringing the total number of alleged victims in the case to seven.
The Tate brothers deny all allegations, with their lawyer, Joseph McBride, characterizing the legal actions as a "political witch hunt" and describing the UK as a "fallen state that prosecutes its citizens for free speech." McBride has suggested that Trump could intervene, stating the former president was "elected to fight against this kind of nonsense."
The brothers' legal team is scheduled to apply for their release at a hearing on July 27. Both men have not been to the UK since a travel ban was lifted in Romania last year, where they also remain under investigation for allegedly coercing women into pornography, with allegations that include rape and sexual assault.
Andrew and Tristan Tate were arrested at a bare-knuckle boxing event in Miami.
Britain and the United States have an extradition treaty covering offenses punishable by at least one year in prison in both countries. The Daily Mail previously reported that the Tate brothers had met with Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill and attended a party hosted by Trump envoy Paolo Zampolli prior to their arrest.