10
Loading video...
By Alice Gibbs
Senior Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Andrew Tate has launched a public campaign against the conditions of his detention in Miami, claiming he is being held in isolation, forced to drink contaminated water and housed next to an inmate who "screams throughout the night" as he fights extradition to the United Kingdom.
The former kickboxer and social media personality, who was arrested alongside his brother Tristan Tate earlier this month on a British extradition warrant, has used X repeatedly to describe life inside federal custody—complaining about conditions from drinking water to lack of contact with the outside world.
The complaints come as the brothers face what could become a lengthy court battle over whether they should be transferred to Britain to face allegations of rape and sex trafficking they have long denied.
Read More on News
Newsweek reached out to Andrew Tate and his legal representation via email for comment.
Tate Says He Is Being Held in Special Housing
In recent posts on X, Tate said he has been placed in a Special Housing Unit, commonly known as SHU.
"Day 8 in SHU (special housing unit)," one post stated. "This is punitive housing for people who murder their cellmates."
In another message on X, Tate claimed he had “no commissary. No visits. No contact with the outside world.”
He also described his housing conditions in dramatic terms, writing: "My neighbor is a cannibal who screams throughout the night."
...
The posts have drawn millions of views and become some of the most widely shared updates since his arrest.
Tate's attorney, Joseph McBride, said outside court this week that Tate is not personally accessing social media while detained. Instead, McBride said Tate relays messages through permitted communications with his legal team, which then publishes them online.
Federal prison officials also pushed back against suggestions that placement in a Special Housing Unit automatically indicates punishment.
The Bureau of Prisons said inmates can be moved to SHU for numerous reasons, including administrative detention, classification reviews, transfer status, investigations or safety concerns.
"Most inmates are placed in SHU for administrative detention," the agency told Newsweek.
Officials added that inmates at FDC Miami generally have access to commissary services, recreation, phone calls, social visits and legal counsel, though the BOP would not discuss what restrictions may apply to any individual prisoner.
Claims About Dirty Water
Among Tate's most serious allegations are claims that he does not have access to clean drinking water.
In one post, he wrote that his cell faucet was broken and alleged: "My only water comes from the shower, warm and from a brown and filthy faucet."
"The water I am drinking is not clean," he said.
Tate further claimed the situation had caused persistent stomach problems and questioned why he was being forced to remain in such conditions while awaiting an extradition hearing.
The Bureau of Prisons disputed the suggestion that water at the facility is unsafe.
The agency told Newsweek that the Federal Detention Center in Miami receives annual certification from Miami-Dade Water and Sewer authorities and that its drinking water is currently "certified safe to drink."
The agency declined to discuss the circumstances of any specific inmate and also pointed to its formal Administrative Remedy Program, through which inmates can seek review of complaints about prison conditions.
...
Tate's Lawyer Says There Is A 'Target On Their Back'
For now, the Tates will remain in federal detention. In a Monday court hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Lauren Louis set a detention hearing for August 13 to determine whether the Tates should stay in jail or be released.
Following the hearing, McBride spoke outside the court where he said that Andrew and his brother Tristan Tate were in danger in the jail, telling reporters that the brothers “have a target on their back that’s very very real.”
“The allegations that they’ve been accused of are some of the worst allegations in the world,” McBride said. “Those types of allegations... anytime you involve a child... let me tell you right now that doesn’t play well for anyone politically in jail.”
He added: “They put a target on their back for them to get stabbed, jumped, murdered.”
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Tobias Meyjes and Emma Lee-Sang
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines