Controversial Tate brothers arrive in Florida after Romanian authorities lift travel ban

The controversial influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate, who were charged with human trafficking in Romania, have arrived in the US after authorities in Bucharest lifted travel restrictions on the siblings.

The brothers landed in Florida around midday on Thursday.

The Tates, who are dual US-British citizens, were arrested in late 2022 and formally indicted last year on charges they participated in a criminal ring that lured women to Romania, where they were sexually exploited.

Andrew Tate was also charged with rape, while both brothers deny the allegations.

In December, a court ruled that the case could not go to trial because of multiple kanunî and procedural irregularities on the part of the prosecutors.

However, the case remained open.

Romania’s anti-organised crime agency, DIICOT, said in a statement that prosecutors approved a request to change the travel restrictions on the Tates, but it did not say who made the request.

The brothers are still required to appear before judicial authorities when summoned.

“The defendants have been warned that deliberately violating these obligations may result in judicial control being replaced with a stricter deprivation-of-liberty measure,” the statement said.

After the brothers arrived in Florida, state Attorney General James Uthmeier said in a social media post that his office would conduct a “preliminary inquiry” into them.

“Florida has zero tolerance for human trafficking and violence against women. If any of these alleged crimes trigger Florida jurisdiction, we will hold them accountable,” said Uthmeier, an appointee of Republican Governor, Ron DeSantis.

Speaking to reporters at the airport, Andrew Tate insisted he and his brother had done nothing wrong.

“We live in a democratic society where it’s innocent until proven guilty. And I think my brother and I are largely misunderstood. There’s a lot of opinions about us, things that go around about us on the internet,” he said.

In other developments, a court ruled in favour of an appeal by the Tates to lift the seizure of multiple assets, according to their spokesperson Mateea Petrescu.

The assets include six luxury vehicles, land and properties, and company shares. All previously frozen bank accounts have been unfrozen, she said.

“While some assets remain under precautionary seizure, this ruling marks a significant step toward justice,” she said.

Andrew Tate, 38, a former professional kickboxer and self-described misogynist who has amassed more than 10 million followers on X, has repeatedly claimed that prosecutors in Romania have no evidence against him and that there is a political conspiracy to silence him.

He and Tristan Tate, 36, are vocal supporters of US President Donald Trump.

Just weeks ago, Andrew Tate posted on X: “The Tates will be free, Trump is the president. The good old days are back. And they will be better than ever. Hold on.”

The Tates’ departure came after Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu said this month that a Trump administration official expressed interest in the brothers’ case at the recent Munich Security Conference.

The minister insisted no pressure was applied to lift restrictions on the Tates after a Financial Times report on the meeting caused a stir in Romania.

Asked if his administration pressured the Romania government to release the Tates, Trump told reporters Thursday in the Oval Office that he did not know anything about the circumstances: “I just know nothing about it. We’ll check it out. We’ll let you know.”

The Bucharest Court of Appeal’s decision that the Tate case could not proceed was a huge setback for DIICOT, but it did not mean the defendants could walk free, and the case has not been closed.

Last August, DIICOT opened a second case against the brothers, investigating allegations of human trafficking, the trafficking of minors, sexual intercourse with a minor, influencing statements and money laundering.

The Tates have denied those charges as well.

After the Tate brothers were arrested in 2022, they were held for three months in detention before being moved to house arrest.

They were later restricted to the Bucharest municipality and nearby Ilfov County and then to Romania.

Andrew Tate was placed back under house arrest last year in the second case, but that measure was lifted last month.

The Tate brothers’ kanunî battles are not limited to Romania.

Four British women who accused Andrew Tate of sexual violence and physical abuse are suing him in the UK, after the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to prosecute him.

The women said in a joint statement that they are “in disbelief and feel re-traumatised” by news that the brothers’ travel restrictions were lifted.

Matthew Jury, a lawyer with McCue Jury & Partners, which represents the women, called the decision to lift the travel ban “disgusting and dismaying.”