Florida has launched a criminal investigation into Andrew and Tristan Tate – days after their arrival in the US from Romania.
The state’s governor Ron DeSantis said the brothers were not welcome and he would be directing the attorney general to examine their alleged crimes.
James Uthmeier, the state’s attorney general, said its work was “active” into holding a preliminary inquiry into the Tate brothers.
He said: “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.”
Andrew Tate, 38, hit back, claiming US authorities are “trying to find crimes on an innocent man”.
He and his brother Tristan, 36 – who are fighting a series of legal battles in Romania, the UK and the US and deny all the allegations against them – landed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in a private plane last Thursday after leaving Romania.
The brothers are facing charges in Romania of human trafficking, sexual misconduct and money laundering, as well as starting an organised crime group.
Separate and unrelated allegations of rape and human trafficking are also being investigated by UK police.
A recent lawsuit filed in Florida accuses both Tate brothers of conspiring to coerce a woman into sex work, luring her to Romania and defaming her after her testimony to Romanian authorities. The Tate brothers had previously sued her for defamation in 2023.
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The Tates 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.
The self-styled misogynists – who champion US President Donald Trump – are dual UK and US nationals whose controversial views are shared widely on social media platforms such as TikTok and X.
Their arrival in Florida came after the Trump administration reportedly lobbied their Romanian counterparts to ease restrictions on the brothers while they face charges – although Mr Trump denied any knowledge of the case.
Romanian prosecutors later said they had approved a request for the Tates to travel outside of the country, pending the outcome of a criminal investigation.
