Influencer Tate brothers, who face human trafficking charges in Romania, arrive in the U.S.

Police officers escort Andrew Tate, centre, handcuffed to his brother Tristan Tate, to the Court of Appeal in Bucharest, Romania, Monday, Feb. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru, File)

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate, who are charged with human trafficking in Romania, arrived Thursday in the U.S. after authorities lifted travel restrictions on the siblings, who have millions of online followers.

The brothers landed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, around midday.

The Tates -- who are dual U.S.-British citizens -- were arrested in late 2022 and formally indicted last year on charges they participated in a criminal ring that lured women to Romania, where they were sexually exploited. Andrew Tate was also charged with rape. They deny the allegations.

In December, a court ruled that the case could not go to trial because of multiple legal and procedural irregularities on the part of the prosecutors. The case, however, remained open, and there is also another ongoing investigation against them in Romania.

Romania’s anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT, said in a statement Thursday that prosecutors approved a request to change the travel restrictions on the Tates, but it did not say who made the request.

The brothers are still required to appear before judicial authorities when summoned.

“The defendants have been warned that deliberately violating these obligations may result in judicial control being replaced with a stricter deprivation-of-liberty measure,” the statement said.

After the brothers arrived in Florida, state Attorney General James Uthmeier said in a social media post that his office would conduct a “preliminary inquiry” into them.

“Florida has zero tolerance for human trafficking and violence against women. If any of these alleged crimes trigger Florida jurisdiction, we will hold them accountable,” said Uthmeier, an appointee of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Speaking to reporters at the airport, Andrew Tate repeated his insistence that the siblings had done nothing wrong.

“We live in a democratic society where it’s innocent until proven guilty. And I think my brother and I are largely misunderstood. There’s a lot of opinions about us, things that go around about us on the internet,” he said.

In other developments Thursday, a court ruled in favor of an appeal by the Tates to lift the seizure of multiple assets, according to Tate spokesperson Mateea Petrescu. The assets include six luxury vehicles, land and properties, and company shares. All previously frozen bank accounts have been unfrozen, she said.

“While some assets remain under precautionary seizure, this ruling marks a significant step toward justice,” she said.

Andrew Tate, 38, a former professional kickboxer and self-described misogynist who has amassed more than 10 million followers on X, has repeatedly claimed that prosecutors in Romania have no evidence against him and that there is a political conspiracy to silence him. He and Tristan Tate, 36, are vocal supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Just weeks ago, Andrew Tate posted on X: “The Tates will be free, Trump is the president. The good old days are back. And they will be better than ever. Hold on.”

The Tates' departure came after Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu said this month that a Trump administration official expressed interest in the brothers’ case at the recent Munich Security Conference. The minister insisted no pressure was applied to lift restrictions on the Tates after a Financial Times report on the meeting caused a stir in Romania.

Asked if his administration pressured the Romania government to release the Tates, Trump told reporters Thursday in the Oval Office that he did not know anything about the circumstances: “I just know nothing about it. We’ll check it out. We’ll let you know.”

The Bucharest Court of Appeal’s decision that the Tate case could not proceed was a huge setback for DIICOT, but it didn’t mean the defendants could walk free, and the case hasn’t been closed.

Last August, DIICOT also launched a second case against the brothers, investigating allegations of human trafficking, the trafficking of minors, sexual intercourse with a minor, influencing statements and money laundering. They have denied those charges as well.

After the Tate brothers were arrested in 2022, they were held for three months in detention before being moved to house arrest. They were later restricted to the Bucharest municipality and nearby Ilfov county, and then to Romania. Andrew Tate was placed back under house arrest last year in the second case, but that measure was lifted last month.

The Tate brothers' legal battles aren’t limited to Romania.

Four British women who accused Andrew Tate of sexual violence and physical abuse are suing him in the U.K., after the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to prosecute him.

The women said Thursday in a joint statement that they are “in disbelief and feel re-traumatized” by news that the travel restrictions were lifted.

Matthew Jury, a lawyer with McCue Jury & Partners, which is representing the women, called the decision to lift the travel ban “disgusting and dismaying.”

In March, the Tate brothers appeared at the Bucharest Court of Appeal in a separate case after U.K. authorities issued arrest warrants over allegations of sexual aggression in a case dating back to 2012-2015.

The appeals court granted the U.K. request to extradite the Tates, but only after legal proceedings in Romania have concluded.

Late last year, a U.K. court ruled that police can seize more than 2.6 million pounds (US$3.3 million) to cover years of unpaid taxes from the pair and freeze some of their accounts. Andrew Tate called it “outright theft” and said it was “a coordinated attack on anyone who dares to challenge the system.”

Article written by Stephen Mcgrath, Andreea Alexandru and Daniel Kozin