Florida Attorney General Opens Criminal Investigation Into Tate Brothers

State officials have initiated a criminal investigation into the controversial influencers after they were accused of human trafficking, a charge they deny.

Influencer Andrew Tate, left, arrives, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Andrew and his brother Tristan were charged with human trafficking in Romania and arrived in the U.S. after authorities lifted travel restrictions. Marta Lavandier/AP Photo

The attorney general of Florida announced on Tuesday that a criminal investigation had been launched against social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate, who are charged with human trafficking in Romania.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said he had directed his office to work with law enforcement to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the Tate brothers following their arrival in Florida last week.

“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,” Uthmeier stated via the social media platform X.

Uthmeier on Tuesday also told an E.W. Scripps reporter that the Tates have “themselves publicly admitted to participating in what very much appears to be soliciting, trafficking, preying upon women around the world,” adding that such conduct is unacceptable in Florida.

Uthmeier said that the state would use “every tool we have within our legal authority to hold them accountable” and carry out the investigation with “full force of law.”

Andrew Tate, 38, and his brother Tristan, 36, 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 faces an additional rape charge. Both have denied the allegations against them.

The brothers, who hold dual U.S.-British citizenship, arrived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Feb. 27 after Romanian prosecutors lifted a two-year travel ban and allowed their return to the United States.

Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters after the brothers’ arrival that they were not welcome in Florida, and that Uthmeier was looking into whether state authorities have jurisdictions over the matter.

“Florida is not a place where you’re welcome with that type of conduct,” DeSantis said, adding that the state had no involvement nor was notified about the Tates’ arrival.

Joseph McBride, the lawyer representing the Tate brothers, rejected DeSantis’s claims and said the brothers had filed a defamation suit against those who have accused them of human trafficking.

“Andrew & Tristan Tate are American Citizens. They are also the Plaintiffs and victims in a very public defamation lawsuit litigated in Palm Beach Court,” McBride stated.

Speaking to reporters at Fort Lauderdale airport on Feb. 27, Andrew Tate said that he and his brother have been “largely misunderstood,” and that they have not been convicted of any crime.

“We live in a democratic society where it’s innocent until proven guilty,” he said. “There’s a lot of opinions about us, things that go around about us on the internet.”

Andrew Tate, a former professional kickboxer and self-described misogynist with over 10 million followers on the social media platform X, has repeatedly alleged that Romanian prosecutors lack evidence against him and alleged a political conspiracy to silence him.

Their trip back to the United States follows a December court ruling citing legal and procedural irregularities preventing their case from proceeding to trial.

However, the charges against them remain active, and a separate investigation is ongoing in Romania.

In the United Kingdom, four women are also pursuing a civil lawsuit against Andrew Tate, alleging sexual violence and physical abuse. In a joint statement on Feb. 27, the women said they were “in disbelief and feel re-traumatized” by the news of the lifting of the travel ban.

The Tates also face potential extradition to the United Kingdom following a March 2024 court appearance in Bucharest over allegations of sexual aggression in a separate case dating back from 2012 to 2015. The court said that the brothers can be extradited to the UK once legal proceedings in Romania are concluded.

Late last year, a British court also permitted authorities to seize over 2.6 million pounds ($3.3 million) from the brothers to cover unpaid taxes and freeze some of their accounts.

Andrew Tate called the actions “outright theft” and “a coordinated attack on anyone who dares to challenge the system.”

Rudy Blalock and the Associated Press contributed to this report.