A criminal investigation has been opened in Florida into controversial influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan, US authorities said on Tuesday. The two brothers arrived in the state last week despite facing trial in Romania on charges of rape, human trafficking, money laundering and sexual relations with a minor.
Attorney General James Uthmeier said on the X platform that he had ordered his office to work with law enforcement to conduct a preliminary investigation into the Tate brothers, including asking the state Attorney General’s Office to issue search warrants and subpoenas. Uthmeier noted that both brothers had “publicly admitted to their involvement in what appears to be prostitution, human trafficking and ‘predation’ on women around the world.”
He added that multiple victims, including minors, had spoken out about it. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday that the brothers were not welcome in the state and warned that the attorney general would investigate whether Florida has jurisdiction over any of their alleged crimes.
Andrew Tate has hit back on social media, claiming the proposed investigation is an example of “communism” and reposting messages claiming DeSantis is trying to embarrass the Trump administration by promoting an investigation.
In a media appearance Monday, Andrew Tate denied any wrongdoing, noting that he has a U.S. passport and the right to visit his home country. He also said he has not broken any laws and has not been tried or convicted of any crime.
Multitude of charges and accusations against the Tate brothers
The Tate brothers, who have dual U.S. and British citizenship, were arrested in Romania in late 2022 and formally charged with participating in a criminal network in which women were taken to the Carpathian country to then exploit them. In January, an appeals court returned the case to the prosecution, allowing them to be released from house arrest, although they were not allowed to leave the country.
They also face a civil lawsuit from an American woman who claims the brothers forced her to work in the sex industry and defamed her when she testified before Romanian authorities. The influencers also face charges in the UK, where police accuse them of human trafficking and rape between 2012 and 2015. The brothers deny the charges.
Last week, the duo boarded a flight from Romania to the United States. Their lawyer confirmed to Euronews that they were traveling to Florida, where they were to stay for a few days on a visit and that they had to report to the Romanian police once a month.
The Tates, who supported Donald Trump’s presidential bid last year, traveled to the United States shortly after the new U.S. administration held talks with Romanian authorities about them. The Romanian government has denied that U.S. officials pressured it to act.
Trump’s special envoy, Richard Grenell, raised the issue of the brothers with Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu during a conversation at the Munich Security Conference in February.
