Days after the two arrived in the U.S., Florida has investigated misogynist Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan. Tate Brothers, who have dual U.S. and British citizenship, faces allegations of rape and human trafficking in Romania and charges of rape, human trafficking and tax evasion in the UK.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said in an article on X that he told police to conduct a preliminary investigation into the Tate Brothers. “Based on a thorough review of the evidence, I directed the Statewide Prosecution Office to execute a search warrant and issue a subpoena in the current criminal investigation of the Tate Brothers,” he said.
Later, when talking to local journalists, Uthmeier did not stab the nature of the investigation. “These guys themselves have publicly admitted to participating in things that seem to be recruiting, trafficking, preying on women around the world,” he said. “Many of these victims came forward, some of them were minors. People could spin as they please, but in Florida, this behavior was seen as cruel. We wouldn't accept it. They chose to come here and put their feet in this state.”
Florida Attorney General @jamesuthmeierfl He said he had conducted a criminal investigation into the Tate Brothers, @cobratate and @tatethetalisman:
“These guys themselves have publicly admitted to participating in things that seem to be recruiting, trafficking, preying on women…” pic.twitter.com/fyifbdkcbu
– Forrest Saunders (@fbsaunders) March 4, 2025
The Tate Brothers are awaiting trial in Bucharest and face a widespread travel ban. They landed in Florida on February 28, and were widely shocked by everyone, including Florida Governor and Republican Ron DeSantis. “Obviously, the federal government has jurisdiction, whether it’s Pam Bondi or Christie Noim, they’ll look at that,” DeSantis told reporters at a press conference after the press release.
“The reality is that Florida is not where you welcome this behavior in the air. I don't know what's going on. We're not involved. We're notified. I found through the media that this is happening.”
The move has led to widespread speculation that Trump or someone in the administration has stepped in with the Tate brothers’ freedom of movement after years of arrest in the House of Representatives in Romania. Trump denied that he knew the brothers. The Financial Times, citing multiple sources of the government, reported that the White House put pressure on the Romanian government to release the brothers.
“Thai people will be free, Trump is the president,” Andrew Tate said in a February 12 X post. “The good times of the past are back. They will be better than ever. Persevere, wait.”
Tate denied Trump's direct involvement in his travel ban in a podcast appearance earlier this week. “I want to stay optimistic and believe Donald Trump sees this rubbish, maybe [asked] Some questions. I like the idea, but I don't know. I didn't confirm. I don't know,” Tate said.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with Trump about the time he landed in Florida. He asked the president this question. “It's important justice,” he told Trump. Back home, he and others called for extradition of the brothers to the UK.
Tate has been involved in a Florida legal case. He is suing one of his accusers for defamation as part of an ongoing and complex legal battle. According to Teter attorney Joseph D. McBride, it is the source of trouble for the Tate brothers in the state.
“Today, Attorney General James Uthmeier, who was publicly dispatched to the window in an ongoing lawsuit in Florida, throwing moral law out of it, and Andrew and Tristan Tate are suing a Florida woman to orchestrate a delicate plot to use sex as a weapon to destroy their lives,” he said.
McBride also said Tate’s only sin was helping young people vote for Trump and “resist the awakened mind virus.”
“It's obvious what's going on here. Ron DeSantis thinks he owns Florida. Over the years, he has rudely taken Florida laws and silenced his enemies while pretending he's the people and he's doing nothing,” McBride said. “He's an angry, vertically challenged little devil, he hates Tate and Trump being real men. Attorney General Uthmeier is his pathetic knee.”
