US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks out after Tate brothers' arrest as he makes position clear
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has spoken out following the arrest of Andrew and Tristan Tate in Miami in recent days.
The UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has charged Andrew, 39, with seven further counts of rape, three counts of arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation, three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, as well as 19 additional charges for offences relating to indecent images of a child and extreme pornography.
Meanwhile, Tristan, 38, is facing a charge of sexual assault, two counts of rape and three counts of arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation.
The total number of charges against the Tate brothers now stands at 59, police have said.
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The alleged crimes are said to have happened between July 2010 and August 2017. Andrew and Tristan have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
Since the Tate brothers' arrest, the CPS has requested the extradition of the pair from the US to the UK.
Court filings have made it clear that only Rubio has the 'sole discretion' to prevent the removal, and the Secretary of State has since detailed his thoughts on the matter.
Rubio told press in the Philippines: "These cases have a process that they go through in the courts. My understanding is that they’re involved in that judicial process. And so that’ll play itself out at this point.
"And – but there’s no role for us to play at this moment or maybe ever in that regard. But it – I’m not going to opine on something that’s still working through a legal process."
White House officials had previously made their stance on the matter very clear, with an official telling The Telegraph: "The White House has no involvement and no feelings on the issue."
Meanwhile, a senior department official also said to The New York Post: "The secretary has not spoken to the Tate Brothers or their lawyers. The State Department has no plans to act on this matter at this time."
Furthermore, a senior administration official told Axios: "The US has an extradition treaty with the UK and the administration intends to honor it in this case."
Joseph McBride, a lawyer representing Andrew and Tristan Tate, has claimed that 'the world knows Andrew and Tristan are innocent'.
He added: "Their enemies know it best of all. That is exactly why they have been attacked.
"We are confident that once a competent judge sees the facts, and once the Department of Justice confronts this egregious abuse of its own authority, Andrew and Tristan Tate will walk free. America does not do Britain's political dirty work."
If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org.
Callum Jones