Andrew Tate, brother Tristan leave Romania for US

 

Controversial brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate have left Romania and are on their way to the US weeks after the influencer was released from house arrest amid their human trafficking case, according to a report.

The Tate brothers, who had been under a travel ban for the last three years, left Baneasa airport on a private jet at 5:00 a.m. local time (10:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday), according to Romanian media.

The plane was heading toward the US, with its final destination suspected to be Florida, the outlets reported citing “airport sources.”

Special prosecutors with Romania’s Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) — the law enforcement agency investigating the Tate brothers — said the case against them was not dropped but accepted a request to allow them to leave the country.

“The request to change the obligation of not leaving Romania was approved,” prosecutors said in a statement on Thursday.

“All the other obligations have been maintained, including the requirement to check in with judicial authorities every time they are called.”

The case against the brothers has not been closed, and they are expected to return to Romania at a later date.

Andrew, 38, and Tristan, 36, were arrested in Bucharest in Dec. 2022 on charges of rape, trafficking minors, and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women along with two Romanian women, with prosecutors formally indicting all four in mid-2023.

The brothers, both former kickboxers and dual British-US citizens, were restricted from leaving the country since December 2023.

Their departure from Romania came after a court ruled in July that the brothers could leave the country as long as they stayed within the European Union.

In December, a court also ruled that the case against the Tates and the two Romanian women could not go to trial until flaws in the indictment made by prosecutors were fixed.

However, in August, prosecutors launched a second criminal investigation against the Tates and four other suspects on accusations of forming an organized criminal group, human trafficking, and money laundering.

Andrew was placed on house arrest, but a Romanian court lifted a house arrest order against the internet personality in January.

The brothers are also wanted in the United Kingdom over allegations of rape and human trafficking and were expected to be extradited to the UK after their Romania case finishes.

Andrew and Tristan Tate have denied all charges against them.

It’s unclear if President Trump’s administration had anything to do with the Tate brother’s travel restriction being lifted.

The Financial Times reported, citing sources, that US officials allegedly pressured Romanian officials at the Munich Security Conference.

However, Romania’s Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanusaid told Euronews there was no “pressure” when he spoke with Trump’s special envoy, Richard Grenell, and said he was only “interested in the fate of the Tate brothers.”

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu also denied the report.

“[America] has not made any requests to [Romania] upon the legal situation of well-known foreign influencers investigated by the Romanian authorities,” Ciolacu posted on X on Feb. 18.

“There were no demands either during the @MAERomania – @RichardGrenell discussion or after it! Romania & USA share the same values regarding the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens.”