TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Influencer and self-described misogynist Andrew Tate is on his way to Florida after the travel ban is lifted as he is trafficking and having sex with minors in Romania.
Joining his brother and Code Fendant Tristan Tate, Andrew Tate boarded a plane heading to Florida on Thursday, with US-based lawyer Joseph McBride telling NBC. He did not provide additional details on where they would travel and when a private plane would be expected to arrive.
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According to the Associated Press, the US-UK dual citizen, who accumulated millions of followers online, was arrested in late 2022 and formally charged last year with claiming that he had joined a crime ring that seduced women into a Romania, where they had been sexually exploited.
Andrew Tate was also charged with rape. The brothers deny the allegations against them.
Romanian anti-organised crime agency DIICOT said in a statement Thursday by the Associated Press that prosecutors approved a request for Tates to change travel restrictions, but did not say who requested it.
The brothers’ trip to Florida is expected to begin Thursday in an honor loss lawsuit they filed in Palm Beach County, so their lawyers told NBC. He added that Tates did not attend the hearing in person and that their travel plans were merely coincidence.
Andrew Tate, 38, is a former professional kickboxer and right-wing influencer with X’s over 10 million followers, and Romanian prosecutors have repeatedly argued that there is no evidence against him and that there is a political plot to silence him. He and Tristan Tate, 36, are supporters of US President Donald Trump’s voice.
Tates’ departure from Romania comes after Foreign Minister Emil Frezáne said this month that Trump administration officials had expressed interest in the brothers’ lawsuit at the Munich Security Council. The minister argued that after the Financial Times report on the Romania conference caused a stir, it did not put pressure on Tates to raise restrictions.
Speaking to NBC News, which is reporting that the White House was involved in Tates’ departure, their lawyers declined to comment. The Trump administration did not respond to an outlet’s request for comment on Thursday.
At a press conference Thursday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he learned about his brother travelling to his state through media reports.
“Obviously, the federal government has jurisdiction over whether they want to refuse entry to the US, and I’m sure they’re seeing that, whether it’s Pam Bondy or Christy Noem,” DeSantis said.
The governor went on to say Florida Attorney General James Usmieire is looking into what Florida can do at the end.
“The reality is, no, Florida is not the place you’re welcomed with that kind of act,” DeSantis said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
