Controversial influencers Andrew and Tristantate were named targets for criminal investigations days after returning to the US amid ongoing legal issues in Europe, including allegations of human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
“Last week, I directed my office to work with law enforcement partners to conduct a preliminary investigation into Andrew and Tristan Tate,” Florida Attorney General James Usmier wrote Tuesday evening. “Based on a thorough review of the evidence, I have directed the prosecutor's office to run a search warrant and issue a subpoena in a currently active criminal investigation against the Tate brothers.”
The nature of the new investigation was not immediately clear, but it was able to explore allegations similar to those that Tates had been accused overseas.
Andrew Tate, brother Tristan, will return to us after Romanian prosecutor lifts travel ban in case of human trafficking
Andrew Tate, 38, and his brother, Tristan Tate, 36, arrived at Fort Lauderdale International Airport on Thursday, February 27, 2025. The pair returned to the US after Romanian prosecutors agreed to lift travel restrictions imposed as part of a sex trafficking case. (miamipixx/vaem/backgrid)
A Uthmeier spokesperson said X's posts “speak in itself.” A simple video He showed the Attorney General on Tuesday talking to Forest Sanders, an EW Scripps reporter recorded in the Florida Capitol corridor.
“These people are publicly acknowledging that they are participating in things that appear to solicit, trafficke, or feed women from around the world,” he said.
Their accusers include minors, he added.
“In Florida, this type of behavior is considered violent,” he said. “We're not going to accept that.”
Andrew Tate, brother Tristan, complained that American women were allegedly trafficking people abroad.
James Usmeer was sworn in as new Florida Attorney General on Monday, February 17, 2025, along with his family at Florida's Historic Capitol. (Alicia Devine / Tallahassee Democrat / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
Andrew Tate, a 38-year-old former MMA fighter, and Tristan, 37, are also undergoing criminal investigations in Romania and the UK. They were sued by a Florida woman who alleged that they had falsely accused them after she traveled to Romania to meet them.
Her attorney, Dani Pinter, praised Usmeyer's office for launching a new US-based investigation.
“While Florida Ag Uthmeier publicly boasted of the exploitation of women, it is right to investigate the Tate brothers who are constantly seeking to undermine Romanian investigations into these crimes,” she said in a statement. “More than 40 victims have been identified in Romania, the UK and the US. They deserve justice.”
When they landed on American soil after Romanian authorities lifted the travel ban last Thursday, Andrew Tate told reporters at Fort Lauderdale airport that despite increasing their legal battles, the brothers remain innocent until proven guilty.
Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate (not pictured) are brought in by police officers to appear before a judge at the Bucharest Court of Appeals in Bucharest, Romania on March 12, 2024. (Inquiry photo via Reuters/octav ganea)
Raids the house of Andrew Tate in Romania in new allegations that include minors' faces
“There's a lot of opinions about us, and a lot of things are circling us on the internet,” he said. “We have not yet been convicted of a crime in our lives. We have no criminal history anywhere on the planet.”
However, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis publicly announced that his brothers were not welcome in Sunshine State.
Philadelphia area defense lawyer David Gelman said it's rare for prosecutors to publish a criminal investigation this early.
On Saturday, August 24th, 2024, a dog sits near a sports car parked in the garden of Andrew Tate's residence on the outskirts of Bucharest, Romania. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
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“When you get a subpoena or something like that, you're doing the investigation, so they're supposed to be kept secret,” he told Fox News Digital. “So what makes him so blatant about it is either you think he has a really, really strong case, or maybe something bigger is on the horizon.”
Tate Brothers' lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but the brothers posted a two-minute video Wednesday morning dismissing the new investigation as “nerd revenge.”
“Andrew Tate is so cool. Everyone loves him. A bunch of nerds who want to be cool, not cool, trying to drag me in,” my brother said.
In the UK, The brothers have been accused of failing to pay taxes, and Andrew Tate is expected to be handed over on charges of sexual assault after the end of his Romanian incident.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
