BUCHAREST, Romania – Andrew and Tristan Tate, the social media personalities, are returning to Romania from the United States to address allegations of human trafficking and organized crime related to the sexual exploitation of women.
The Tate brothers, holding both U.S. and British citizenship, were initially apprehended in Romania in late 2022. Last year, they were formally charged with involvement in a criminal network that allegedly coerced women to come to Romania for sexual exploitation. Andrew Tate also faces a rape charge, all of which they deny.
Andrew Tate stated on his X account, "Spending $185,000 on a private jet across the Atlantic to sign one single piece of paper in Romania. Innocent men don't run. THEY CLEAR THEIR NAME IN COURT."
Their return follows the end of a travel restriction that allowed them to travel to the U.S. via private jet, landing in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The brothers are still under judicial supervision, which requires their presence before Romanian legal authorities when requested. According to Eugen Vidineac, their Romanian lawyer, they are scheduled to meet with a surveillance officer on Monday.
According to spokesperson Mateea Petrescu, the Tates are expected to make press statements near their Bucharest residence around 1 a.m. local time (2300 GMT).
Following their arrival in the U.S. on March 4, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the start of a criminal investigation into Andrew and Tristan Tate, directing his office to collaborate with law enforcement on a preliminary inquiry.
Andrew Tate responded on X, stating, "I didn't commit any crime and they're trying to find one because they don't like me.”
The two-year travel ban was lifted after a Bucharest court cited legal and procedural errors by the prosecutors in December, preventing the case from proceeding to trial, although the investigation remains active.
Last August, Romania's DIICOT also started a second investigation into the brothers, focusing on accusations of human trafficking, trafficking of minors, sexual relations with a minor, influencing statements, and money laundering. They refute these accusations as well.
Andrew Tate, 38, a former kickboxer with over 10 million X followers, has repeatedly asserted the absence of evidence against him and alleges a political plot to silence him.
The legal challenges for the Tate brothers extend beyond Romania.
Four British women are pursuing legal action in the U.K. against Andrew Tate, alleging sexual violence and physical abuse, after the Crown Prosecution Service declined to prosecute him.
Last March, the Tate brothers appeared at the Bucharest Court of Appeal concerning U.K. arrest warrants related to sexual aggression allegations from 2012 to 2015.
The appeals court approved the extradition request from the U.K., but only after the conclusion of the legal proceedings in Romania.