Florida has opened a criminal investigation into Andrew and Tristan Tate, days after they returned to the US while facing human trafficking charges in Romania.
The state’s Attorney General James Uthmeier announced on Tuesday that he had directed his office to work with law enforcement to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the Tate brothers.
“Based on a thorough review of the evidence, I’ve directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution to execute search warrants and issue subpoenas in the now-active criminal investigation into the Tate brothers,” he wrote on social media.
After the Tates landed in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, Governor Ron DeSantis told reporters that the brothers weren’t welcome in Florida and that he would have the attorney general examine whether the state may have any jurisdiction over their alleged crimes.
Speaking on the PPD Podcast on Monday, Andrew Tate said the governor was caving to media pressure.
Tate said he has a US passport and a right to visit his home country, and said he has broken no laws and has never even been tried, let alone convicted, of a crime.
The Tates, who are dual US-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 the country, where they were sexually exploited.
Andrew Tate was also charged with rape. The brothers deny the allegations.
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 President Donald Trump.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer says it’s “important justice is done” when speaking about Andrew Tate at a press conference in the Oval Office last week
Andrew Tate was previously banned from TikTok, YouTube and Facebook for hate speech and his misogynistic comments, including that women should bear responsibility for being 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.
The brothers had been banned from leaving Romania since December 2023, but a travel ban was lifted by Romanian authorities, reportedly after facing pressure from the White House.
In a meeting with Keir Starmer in the Oval Office last Thursday, when asked by reporters whether his administration had pressed the Romanian government on allowing the Tates to leave, he said: “I know nothing about that… we’ll check it out and we’ll let you know.”
During Wednesday’s Prime Minister’s Questions, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey asked Starmer whether the government would request “urgent extradition” of the Tate brothers from the United States.
“The Tates have tried to escape justice first to Romania, now to the United States, but I’m delighted that Florida has thankfully opened a criminal investigation.
“But does the prime minister agree that people who are wanted by British police for such appalling (alleged) crimes should stand trial in our country?”
The PM replied: “This is a live issue, as he’ll appreciate, therefore I’ll tread carefully but the principle is absolutely clear – justice must be done in all cases including in this case. But I won’t go into the detail as it’s a live case, as he knows.”
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
