Florida opens criminal investigation into Andrew Tate after return from Romania

File Source: Twitter

Florida has launched a criminal probe into social media influencer Andrew Tate and his brother, days after they arrived in the state following the lifting of their travel ban in Romania, where they are facing human trafficking and sexual misconduct allegations.

State Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the investigation late on March 4, stating that he had “directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution to execute search warrants and issue subpoenas in the now-active criminal investigation into the Tate brothers” after a preliminary inquiry into their activities. “Florida has zero tolerance for people who abuse women and girls. We will not allow it,” he declared.

The brothers landed at Fort Lauderdale airport on February 27 aboard a private jet after Romanian authorities dropped restrictions preventing them from leaving the country. Their departure sparked outrage from NGOs and individuals involved in their case, who questioned whether they would return to Romania for their next scheduled court hearing at the end of March.

Uthmeier had previously signaled that Florida would investigate the Tates’ legal situation and determine whether “any of these alleged crimes trigger Florida jurisdiction.” The probe comes amid a wider legal storm surrounding the brothers, who are also facing a separate criminal investigation in the United Kingdom. On March 4, U.S. media reported that a 23-year-old American woman had filed a civil lawsuit against them in Florida, accusing them of attempting to coerce her into prostitution in Romania and defaming her after she testified against them. The brothers have strongly denied all accusations and have countersued the woman.

Andrew Tate, 38, has amassed millions of followers on social media by promoting an ultra-masculine lifestyle, but he has been banned from platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook for hate speech, including remarks suggesting women should bear responsibility if they are sexually assaulted. At the airport, he dismissed the charges against him and his brother as a conspiracy. “We have no criminal record anywhere on the planet, ever,” he said. Reporters pressed him on whether former U.S. President Donald Trump had played a role in their return, but neither he nor his brother commented. Speaking at the White House, Trump denied any involvement, saying he knew nothing about the case.

Romania’s anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT, has not disclosed why it lifted the Tates’ travel ban. However, the decision followed comments by Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu, who said U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Richard Grenell, had raised the case earlier this month. Both Hurezeanu and Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu denied that U.S. officials had pressured them to release the brothers.

Despite being free to travel, the Tates remain under legal scrutiny. “All of the other obligations have been maintained, including the requirement to check in with judicial authorities every time they are called,” Romanian officials said. Their trial has been delayed after a Bucharest appeals court found “irregularities” in the indictment, allowing prosecutors to amend or provide new evidence. DIICOT has accused the Tates and two Romanian women of human trafficking, recruiting victims under false pretenses, and forcing them into sexual exploitation for profit. Prosecutors say seven women were “forcibly exploited” through violence and psychological coercion.

Authorities also allege that the brothers used the so-called “lover boy” method, seducing victims with promises of relationships before taking them to properties outside Bucharest, where they were allegedly forced to produce explicit content. Further charges include forming an organized crime group, trafficking minors, and money laundering.

The brothers were expected to be extradited to the U.K. after their Romanian case concludes, where they face additional allegations of rape and human trafficking. A British court has already ruled that more than £2.6 million ($3.3 million) can be seized from them to cover unpaid taxes. On February 18, four British women who have accused Tate of sexual violence urged the U.S. not to interfere in the legal proceedings, saying, “We hope that the Romanian and U.K. authorities will be left alone to do their jobs.”

The removal of the travel ban has sparked backlash from advocacy groups. The VIF Network, an NGO focused on combating violence against women, has demanded transparency from Romanian authorities on why the ban was lifted, warning that the decision could “undermine trust in the judicial system of victims of sexual violence and human trafficking.”

The Tates, who previously claimed Romania was their home, now find themselves under legal scrutiny in multiple countries. With Florida joining the list of jurisdictions investigating them, the brothers’ legal troubles appear far from over.