The Florida Attorney General’s Office has launched a criminal investigation into Romania social media influencers, Andrew and Tristan Tate, only days after their return to the United States.
Attorney General James Uthmeier said his office would assist with law enforcement to conduct a preliminary investigation into the Tate brothers, who were charged with human trafficking in Romania and arrived in Fort Lauderdale last Thursday.
Following their arrival, Governor Ron DeSantis told reporters that the brothers were not wanted in Florida and that he would have the attorney general investigate whether the state has jurisdiction over their alleged crimes.
Uthemeir said “Based on a thorough review of the evidence, I’ve directed the Office of State-wide Prosecution to execute search warrants and issue subpoenas in the now-active criminal investigation into the Tate brothers.”
The Tates, who are dual U.S.-British citizens, were arrested in late 2022 and formally indicted last year in Romania on charges they participated in a criminal ring that lured women to that country, where they were sexually exploited. Andrew Tate was also charged with rape.
Andrew Tate, 38, is a former professional kickboxer and self-described misogynist who is a hugely successful social media figure, attracting millions of followers, many of them young men and schoolchildren drawn in by the luxurious lifestyle the influencer projects online.
He and his 36-year-old brother, Tristan, are vocal supporters of Trump.
Andrew Tate previously was banned from TikTok, YouTube and Facebook for hate speech and his misogynistic comments, including that women should bear responsibility for getting sexually assaulted.
The Tates left Romania after Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu said this month that a Trump administration official expressed interest in the brothers’ case at the recent Munich Security Conference.
