Andrew and Tristan Tate, “hypermasculine” influencers and former professional kickboxers, remain jailed in Miami as their lawyer fights their possible extradition to the United Kingdom to face charges of rape and human trafficking.
The British request for extradition triggers a process that will ultimately be decided by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
But the Tate brothers have traveled to the United States repeatedly − including as recently as attending a UFC fight in Miami in April − without repercussions, despite pending criminal charges in Britain and Romania, and numerous civil lawsuits. The Tates have denied the charges.
Joseph McBride, a defense attorney who represents the Tate brothers, told reporters outside the courthouse that an initial hearing July 20 was the first small step in fighting extradition. A lawyers-only meeting expected in several days to develop a schedule for filing written arguments, he said.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Lauren Louis scheduled another hearing July 27.
Andrew Tate, right, attends UFC 327 at Kaseya Center on April 11, 2026 in Miami, Florida.
McBride is also fighting to stop having the Tate brothers held in solitary confinement. The brothers are being held in a 5-foot-by-12-foot cell, he said.
“Solitary confinement is torture,” McBride said. “We’re working to get them out of there as soon as possible.”
Because the case is being handled as an extradition rather than criminal complaint, bail is not available, McBride said.
The arrests are the latest court action against the Tates, who have been the subject of numerous civil lawsuits alleging sexual violence and criminal prosecution in the United Kingdom and Romania.
McBride said the arrests came days after the Tate brothers visited the Capitol to discuss political parties and upcoming elections, and after some members of Congress criticized them.
“This feels political,” McBride said. “Of course they didn’t like it. No innocent man likes being taken to jail. It’s a horrible situation.”
Here’s what to know about the charges:
Social Media personality Andrew Tate attends UFC 327 at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida on April 11, 2026.
Who are the Tates?
The Tates have millions of social media followers and are key figures in the “manosphere,” a collection of influencers, websites and spaces online.
They promote fitness, lifestyle and get-rich-quick advice alongside a toxic blend of misogynistic and anti-feminist rhetoric while insisting they respect women.
More: ‘It’s like dopamine.’ Looking for role models, troubled young men find Andrew Tate.
The brothers have faced numerous civil lawsuits and criminal investigations into potential sexual abuse.
A civil lawsuit in Palm Beach, Florida, is proceeding and Andrew Tate faces trial in Britain this year in a civil case brought by four women who allege physical and sexual abuse from 2013 to 2015. Two of the women said they were in an intimate relationship with Tate while the two worked for his online webcam business.
Tate denies the allegations and contends all sexual activity was consensual.
Besides the British charges, the brothers face criminal proceedings in Romania, where authorities have been investigating them since December 2022.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier opened a criminal investigation into the Tates, characterizing its scope as “what very much appears to be soliciting, trafficking, preying upon women around the world.”
What are the United Kingdom charges?
The United Kingdom’s Crown Prosecution Service announced a slew of charges against the Tates shortly before the brothers were arrested July 18 by U.S. Marshals based on an extradition warrant.
The charges against Andrew Tate include seven new counts of rape, three counts of arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation, three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and 19 additional charges for offenses relating to indecent images of a child and extreme pornography.
Tristan Tate is being prosecuted on one count of sexual assault, two counts of rape and three counts of arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation.
The charges are in addition to 21 original charges, including rape and human trafficking, brought in the United Kingdom, bringing the total charges against both brothers to 59.
“We have decided to prosecute Andrew and Tristan Tate for further offences including rape, arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation and offences relating to indecent images of a child,” Malcolm McHaffie, head of the Special Crime Division at the Crown Prosecution Service, said in a statement. “These charging decisions followed receipt of a further file of evidence from Bedfordshire Police and bring the total number of alleged victims in this case to seven.”
Tristan and Andrew Tate deliver a press statement in front of their house after landing back in Romania, near Bucharest, Romania on March 22, 2025.
How did the Tates respond to the latest British charges?
McBride issued a statement asking followers to “pray for” the brothers in their fight against “baseless” allegations.
McBride, who has been defending the Tates in a civil defamation case in Palm Beach, Florida, accused the British government of seeking extradition before the civil case collapsed.
“This extradition demand has one purpose: to kidnap Andrew and Tristan through paperwork before an American jury exposes the truth to the entire world,” McBride said in a statement.
What are the political implications for Trump?
President Donald Trump courted members of the manosphere in his election campaign, including appearing on podcasts hosted by allies of the Tate brothers.
After the Tate brothers were arrested in Romania, Donald Trump Jr. posted on social media that the prosecution was “absolute insanity.”
The New York Times reported in December 2025 that the Tates had long cultivated friendships and influence with the president’s allies, including his youngest son, Barron Trump, who communicated with Andrew Tate over Zoom. But the Trump administration denied any connection to the Tates, calling the reports “fake news.”
Tristan and Andrew Tate deliver a press statement in front of their house after landing back in Romania, near Bucharest, Romania, on March 22, 2025.
What comes next?
Rubio must ultimately decide whether to extradite the Tate brothers.
The Justice Department traditionally examines whether the allegations merit extradition. The factors include any statutes of limitations, evidence of crimes, severity of allegations, whether the charges appear politically motivated and the nationality of the suspects.
“If the court finds the fugitive to be extraditable, it certifies the extradition and sends the record to the Secretary of State, who decides whether to surrender the fugitive,” according to a Justice Department manual.
Appeals are possible.
The Tate brothers have dual citizenship with the United States and the United Kingdom.
McBride argued that “America does not do Britain’s political dirty work.”
“We are confident that once a competent judge sees the facts, and once the Department of Justice confronts the egregious abuse of its own authority, Andrew and Tristan Tate will walk free,” McBride said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Andrew and Tristan Tate remain in Miami jail as they fight U.K. extradition
