Brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate are facing fresh scrutiny after a British MP reported them to counter-terrorism police over their trip to Russia.
In a video shared online, the controversial influencers are seen wearing military-style outfits while participating in drills and related activities.
They were arrested in the U.S. on July 18 and face an extradition request from Britain, where they have been charged with rape.
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The Tate brothers have been formally reported to UK counter-terrorism police over allegations surrounding a June trip to Russia, where they filmed content that authorities warn may constitute foreign state influence and propaganda.
The referral to counter-terrorism officers was championed by Conservative MP Alicia Kearns, former chair of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee.
Kearns raised concerns about videos uploaded during the brothers’ trip that showed them interacting with military personnel, using Russian military equipment, and participating in battle-like drills and activities.
Tate Brothers Show Off Grenade Drills And Military Gear
As captured in several videos uploaded to their social media pages, the brothers showed themselves traveling around Russia and visiting iconic landmarks, including the Kremlin, Red Square, and St. Basil’s Basilica.
The video then panned to a session where they were seen dressed in military-style gear with Russian flag patches, standing in front of armored vehicles, and echoing pro-Kremlin narratives.
They took part in drills involving the use of weaponry, as well as throwing hand grenades from a distance. At one point, Andrew was given the chance to try out a grenade launcher, among other high-grade military hardware.
UK MP Accuses Tate Brothers Of Pushing Russian Propaganda
3Under the UK’s updated Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, individuals acting under the direction of or delivering propaganda on behalf of a foreign state are required by law to register their activities.
Failure to disclose such foreign ties carries criminal penalties and a maximum of five years’ imprisonment.
Writing to the Home Office, Kearns argued that there are grounds to investigate whether Andrew and Tristan were required to register because of what appears to be their affiliation with Russia, as depicted in the videos.
“It’s quite clear that when the Tate brothers traveled to Russia, they were part of some kind of junket for essentially Putin apologists and useful idiots,” the lawmaker told LBC.
“They were pumping out Russian propaganda. There was no question about it,” the statement continued. “And that’s why I think it’s so important that they need to register themselves as agents working for the Russian state.”
Tate Brothers Deny Alleged Russian Propaganda Ties
3Meanwhile, Andrew and Tristan, who are part British and part U.S. citizens, have denied the allegations Kearns leveled against them.
Representatives for the brothers categorically rejected the claims, dismissing the counter-terrorism referral as a political stunt.
Issuing a lengthy statement to the news outlet, the insider insisted that their trip was “private and personal,” and that they received “no payment, compensation, financial assistance or direction from the Russian state.”
“They did not attend or speak at any state-organized political event and intentionally did not attend the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (despite inaccurate reporting at the time suggesting they were in attendance). They were not provided with Russian government talking points,” the rep continued.
They added, “They were not instructed to promote any Russian government message. They did not act under the direction or control of any foreign power.”
Tate Brothers’ Legal Troubles Mount After Miami Arrest
3It comes as the divisive brothers already face a mountainous list of legal troubles. In Romania, they’ve been slapped with serious criminal charges, including human trafficking and organized crime, although they continue to deny the allegations.
Last month, they were arrested in Miami and face extradition to the UK after British authorities issued 38 new charges against them, including rape, per the BBC.
The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service said it charged the brothers in relation to alleged offenses committed between July 2010 and August 2017 involving four victims.
Andrew was hit with seven counts of rape, three counts of arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation, three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and 19 charges for offenses connected to indecent images of a child and “extreme pornography.”
Tristan, on the other hand, faces one count of sexual assault, two counts of rape, and three counts of arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation.
They’re still locked up in Miami and continue to fight the extradition request, especially as the UK’s new charges bring the total to 59.
