Andrew and Tristan Tate are preparing to challenge efforts to extradite them to the United Kingdom, with their lawyer saying they will fight the move.
Attorney Joseph McBride told TMZ the brothers intend to contest the extradition request, arguing there are special circumstances that should prevent them from being sent back to the UK.
McBride said the brothers are not a flight risk, claiming they have fully complied with court proceedings over the past three years. According to him, they have not missed any court appearances in either their Romanian human trafficking case or a defamation case in Palm Beach.
He said the brothers were "startled" when plainclothes U.S. Marshals wearing badges and vests approached them during their arrest in Miami on Saturday and ordered them to put their hands behind their backs.
McBride also claimed the brothers, who had recently been travelling and attending luxury events, found themselves in what he described as a "smelly jail." He alleged they spent Sunday in solitary confinement, calling the conditions "cruel and unusual punishment," but said U.S. Marshals informed him they would later be moved to the general prison population.
The Tate brothers were arrested after U.S. Marshals executed a UK extradition warrant. British prosecutors are seeking their return to face allegations including rape, human trafficking and other alleged s3x-related offences. The brothers have consistently denied all allegations.
McBride described the UK case as politically motivated, arguing that the brothers, as American citizens, have a First Amendment right to express their views without facing criminal prosecution. He also accused UK authorities of misusing the justice system.
According to McBride, the brothers expected they would not be released following Monday's hearing and are now preparing for a lengthy legal battle against extradition.
