July 20 (UPI) — Controversial influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate appeared Monday in a federal courtroom in Miami as part of extradition proceedings to the United Kingdom over charges including sex trafficking and rape.

The brothers and their attorneys said they would fight the extradition request. The Tates were arrested Saturday by U.S. Marshals and have been in jail in Florida since.

This followed a slate of new charges from the Crown Prosecution Service, which prosecutes criminal cases in England and Wales. Andrew Tate faces 42 charges, including rape, human trafficking, assault and indecent images of a child, while Tristan Tate faces 17 charges including rape, sexual assault and trafficking, CNN reported.

In the court appearance Monday, the Tates were both handcuffed and shackled at the waist and ankles. They did not speak except to say, “Yes, your honor,” when the judge asked if they understood their rights, BBC News reported.

Their lawyer, Joe McBride, said they are innocent, calling the charges “garbage.” He also compared the charges to legal proceedings involving U.S. President Donald Trump, which he called “a witch hunt.”

McBride further referenced the Trump administration before the hearing, CNN said.

“I believe that Marco Rubio and the rest of the Trump administration are not fans of communism,” he said. “So, I would just think, as a matter of principle, based on the reasons why they were elected, that they would not want to see two free citizens go to a country where they’re going to be thrown in jail for political reasons.”

The Tates are noted Trump supporters. Any final decision on extradition will be up to the administration. The United States and UK are part of an extradition pact that means each country has agreed to extradite those wanted in the other country. The Tates have dual citizenship in the two countries.

The brothers remain in custody after the hearing. The next hearing will be July 27, and they have waived their attendance.

Andrew Tate, who calls himself a misogynist, has drawn online followers by promoting that mindset and themes of male power and chauvinism. Tristan Tate has built his own following along similar lines.

The Tates already faced charges in the UK from allegations between 2012 and 2015, and the new charges add more between 2010 and 2017. Andrew Tate further faces a civil suit there from four woman who have accused him of rape and coercive control.

They also face charges of human trafficking and forming an organized criminal group to sexually exploit women in Romania, where they were arrested in 2022. Florida is also investigating the Tates on criminal matters.