Kickboxer-turned-influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan Tate were arrested outside a bare-knuckle boxing event in Miami on Saturday, July 18, according to British authorities and their lawyers.
The Tates were detained by federal marshals outside the James L. Knight Center as British authorities seek their extradition to the United Kingdom to face a number of new criminal charges.
Assistant Chief Constable Karena Thomas, of Bedfordshire Constabulary, said: “Officers from our Major Crime Unit have worked closely with the Crown Prosecution Service and national and international law enforcement agencies as part of this complex investigation.” “While we understand the interest this case will cause, we urge the public to avoid speculation and allow the legal process to proceed properly.”
“There is no place for male violence against women and girls. We will continue to work tirelessly to support victims and investigate all reports brought to us.”
British authorities have been given permission to bring 38 new charges against the brothers, bringing the total to 59, including 42 charges against Andrew Tate, 39, and 17 charges against Tristan Tate, 38, British authorities said. Charges include rape and inducing or abetting human trafficking for sexual exploitation.
Malcolm McHaffie, head of the Royal Prosecution Service’s special crimes division, said in a statement: “We have decided to charge Andrew and Tristan Tate with further offenses including rape, soliciting and abetting human trafficking for sexual exploitation and offenses relating to indecent images of children.”
The U.S. Marshals Service did not respond to a request for comment.
The Tates, who hold dual U.S. and British citizenship, have pleaded not guilty to the old and recent charges. The brothers’ attorney, Joseph D. McBride, criticized the arrest in a statement released July 18.
“The world knows that Andrew and Tristan Tate are innocent. Their enemies know it best,” McBride said. “That’s exactly why they were attacked.”
“This is a political blow ordered by a dying empire that fears two free men with microphones more than actual criminals walking the streets,” McBride added.
The Tate brothers have amassed more than 10 million followers on X and hundreds of thousands more on other platforms. They push out a kind of hypermasculinity and openly portray themselves as misogynists.
Tates was scheduled to host the debut event for Russian-based bare-knuckle boxing promotion IBA Bare-Knuckle, along with former UFC champion Jon Jones. According to multiple media reports, the Taits were handcuffed outside the venue as British authorities sought their extradition.
The arrest is the latest in a growing legal battle for the brothers, who are already facing criminal proceedings in Romania, where authorities have been investigating them since December 2022.
Andrew Tate is scheduled to go on trial in the UK this year in a civil suit brought by four women over allegations of physical and sexual abuse.
Four women, who requested anonymity, allege that they were physically or sexually assaulted by Tate between 2013 and 2015. The two men had close ties to Tate, and both worked for Tate’s online webcam business.
Andrew Tate denies the charges. His attorney said in a written defense that the allegations were false and that all sexual activity was consensual.
Contributed by: Reuters
