The development comes after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said controversial influencers were not welcomed in the state.
US authorities have announced the launch of a criminal investigation into controversial social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate.
Florida U.S. Attorney General James Usmier said Tuesday that he had directed his office to “conduct a preliminary investigation to work with law enforcement partners.”
After Romanian authorities lifted a travel ban on them, the Tate Brothers, who arrived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on February 27, faces a trial in Romania, allegedly running a criminal who lured women into the country for sexual exploitation.
“Based on a thorough review of the evidence, I have directed the prosecutor’s office across the state to execute a search warrant and issue a subpoena in a currently active criminal investigation against the Tate brothers,” Uthmeier said.
A dual American citizen, Tates orders millions of young male followers on social media, and is drawn to their gorgeous lifestyle, hypermasculine image and misogynist rhetoric.
The brothers are banned from many platforms for hate speech, including suggesting that women should be held responsible for sexual assault.
Romanian authorities arrested the Tate brothers in late 2022 and were formally indicted last year along with two Romanian women on sex trafficking charges. Andrew Tate is also accused of rape.
In another investigation, British authorities also sought the arrest of the brother on charges of rape and human trafficking.
The Tate brothers deny all allegations against them.
Romanian authorities kept Tates under a travel ban while investigating the incident.
However, Romanian prosecutors announced Thursday that the travel ban has been lifted and their US passports have returned to them.
Their return to the US on a private jet last week came amid accusations that White House officials had lobbyed to Romanian authorities to release Tates, who was a supporter of US President Donald Trump’s voice.
Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Frezeanu said the brothers were mentioned at the Munich Security Conference last month in a short corridor meeting with Trump’s envoy Richard Grenell.
Romanian Minister of Justice Radu Marinek denied that US pressure was a factor in their release.
When he landed in Florida last week, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said the brothers weren’t welcome in the state.
“Florida is not a place to welcome such actions,” he told reporters.
“I don’t know how this came to this… we weren’t involved. We weren’t notified,” added DeSantis. Because he called on the Attorney General to find out whether state officials have jurisdiction over their alleged crimes.
Andrew Tate, 38, accused DeSantis of falling under media pressure and said he has the right to visit a citizenship country.
He added that he was never tested, not to mention that he broke the law and was convicted of the crime.
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