Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan have been refused bail and will remain in custody in the US.
A US Magistrate Judge in Miami ruled that the social media influencers’ wealth and extensive international travel history made them “quintessential flight risks.”
Judge Lauren Louis determined on Wednesday that the brothers must remain in custody as they fight extradition to Britain, where they face charges of rape, assault and facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation.
“While (the brothers) may not in fact possess what extravagant holdings they portray themselves as possessing online, the record reflects that they possess an exceptional capacity to flee the jurisdiction,” Judge Louis wrote in her ruling.
The judge also concluded that the allegations indicated the pair posed a danger to the community.
The former kickboxers, who hold both American and British citizenship, were taken into custody in Miami on July 18 following a British extradition request.
Andrew Tate is 39 and his brother Tristan is 38.
Both have denied any wrongdoing.
Their legal team sought release, arguing that the brothers’ “extraordinary public visibility” would make any attempt to abscond impractical.
Defence lawyers characterised social media posts in which the pair boasted about their riches as “theatrical” and “grandiose.”
In a statement, the Tates’ lawyers said they would “continue to defend themselves against the allegations they face and engage with the appropriate legal processes in each jurisdiction.”
Prosecutors from the Miami US Attorney’s office contended there was a strong presumption favouring detention in international extradition matters.
They pointed to British allegations that the brothers strangled victims during forcible rapes as evidence they could endanger the public if freed.
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According to a prosecution court filing dated August 10, the Tates recruited dozens of women from 2014 onwards to work in a webcam pornography operation and subsequently ran online courses branded “Hustler’s University.”
During a hearing on August 27, prosecutors played footage of Andrew Tate declaring: “slap, slap, grab, choke, shut up bitch, sex.”
Both brothers testified at that hearing that their crude online remarks were performances in which they adopted fictional personas.
Since 2022, the brothers have faced a separate investigation in Romania, where they have been based primarily since 2017.
Last Friday, Romanian prosecutors formally charged Andrew Tate with trafficking minors, money laundering, sexual contact with a minor and witness tampering, while Tristan Tate was indicted on complicity charges.
A Romanian lawyer representing the pair said they rejected those allegations.
The British charges relate to alleged offences spanning seven years, from July 2010 to August 2017.
The Crown Prosecution Service brought new charges involving four alleged victims, adding to earlier rape and human trafficking allegations connected to three other complainants.
A British judge issued an arrest warrant in 2024, though neither brother has entered a plea in a UK court.
Britain must submit its complete extradition request to the US State Department by September 16, and the legal process is expected to stretch on for months.
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