Florida’s Attorney General, James Uthmeier, has initiated a criminal investigation into British-American online influencers Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan Tate. The brothers are currently facing human-trafficking charges in Romania and Britain. This comes after their arrival in Florida last week, where they had previously been restricted from leaving Romania due to similar accusations that they had lured and sexually exploited women.

Uthmeier has instructed his office to collaborate with law enforcement to carry out a preliminary investigation into the Tate brothers, asserting that subpoenas and warrants have already been secured and served in the criminal probe. The twins, who amass millions of social media followers and are recognized for their misogynist views and flaunting of wealth, were detained in Romania in 2022 for these alleged crimes but were recently allowed to leave the country.

Upon their arrival at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport last week, they were met with a firm stance from Florida officials who pronounced they are not welcome in the state. Governor Ron DeSantis stated that the brothers’ conduct does not align with the values of Florida, a statement that echoed the Attorney General’s determination to take legal action against them. Uthmeier made it clear that their alleged behavior in exploiting and soliciting women is appalling and will not be tolerated.

The brothers’ lawyer, Joseph McBride, has not responded to requests for comment. Andrew Tate also took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his disappointment, blasting the United States for its “absolute communism” after a mere five days in the country where he had participated in a podcast.

In Romania, prosecutors announced a continued pursuit of criminal investigations against the two British-American citizens without naming them. They stated that the individuals will have to report to Romanian judicial authorities upon being summoned. The Tates have consistently denied the allegations, attributing their situation to being targeted due to their wealth and vocal opinions.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/04/us/andrew-tate-brothers-florida.html