Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier provided details Tuesday about his criminal investigation into self-proclaimed misogynist and pro-Trump “influencer” Andrew Tate and his brother, Tristan, after both arrived in the U.S. after leaving Romania, where both face charges of human trafficking and money laundering.
The brothers, who deny all the allegations against them, turned up in Florida on Thursday. Their appearance followed a report that the Trump administration had pressured Romania to loosen the Tate brothers’ travel restrictions. Last week, Donald Trump denied having any knowledge about the Tate brothers’ entry into the U.S. Indeed, welcoming them would seem to run afoul of the Trump administration’s self-proclaimed campaign against alleged “vicious criminals” coming into the country (never mind that Trump himself has been found liable for sexual abuse and has welcomed accused abusers into his orbit).
After the Tates landed in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis said publicly they weren’t welcome. At the time, Uthmeier said he’d opened a “preliminary inquiry” into possible charges against the brothers under Florida law. On Tuesday, he said there’s an “active criminal investigation” into the brothers, adding that subpoenas and warrants have been issued.
“These guys have themselves publicly admitted to participating in what very much appears to be soliciting, trafficking, preying upon women around the world,” Uthmeier told Florida-based reporter Forrest Saunders.
Florida Attorney General @JamesUthmeierFL says he's opened criminal investigation of Tate brothers, @Cobratate & @TateTheTalisman:
— Forrest Saunders (@FBSaunders) March 4, 2025
"These guys have themselves publicly admitted to participating in what very much appears to be soliciting, trafficking, preying upon women…" pic.twitter.com/FYIfbDKCBu
In a social media post Tuesday, Andrew Tate decried the state’s criminal investigation, calling it “absolute communism.”
An NBC News report from 2023 detailed how Tate has boasted about luring women to participate in his explicit webcam business, which he himself has described as a “total scam.” Tate is an avowed Trump supporter and among the most widely recognized figures in the so-called manosphere, a constellation of social media influencers known for deeply misogynistic content that tends to skew to the far right. After Trump’s win, Tate told his social media followers that he stepped on the gas when he saw a woman in a crosswalk because “you no longer have rights.”
