A spokesperson for the US Department of Justice said the arrests were made “pursuant to extradition proceedings.”

The United Kingdom and the United States are parties to a treaty that allows the extradition of people in relation to alleged crimes punishable under the laws of both countries with at least one year in prison.

For a case in the UK, the CPS prepares an application which is certified by a judge. The final request is sent for consideration by the Ministry of the Interior, which then forwards the extradition request to the relevant State through the usual diplomatic channels.

The decision to accept the extradition request is made by the United States Department of State. The request will then be considered by US courts, with the final decision made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

A lawyer representing the Tates, Joseph McBride, said on X that the brothers will appear in court “first thing in the morning” on Monday, US time.

In a statement issued after the brothers’ arrest Saturday night, McBride said “the world knows that Andrew and Tristan are innocent.”

“Their enemies know this better than anyone. That is exactly why they have been attacked,” McBride continued, describing the UK’s new accusations as a “political coup.”

He said the new charges were designed to counter a defamation lawsuit brought by the brothers in the United States.

“We are confident that once a competent judge sees the facts, and once the Justice Department confronts this egregious abuse of its own authority, Andrew and Tristan Tate will go free. The United States does not do Britain’s dirty political work,” he continued.