Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis said at a press conference on Thursday that the state is looking into legal options after notorious influencer Andrew Tate — who is accused of sex trafficking, rape, and other criminal activity in Romania — had travel sanctions lifted and traveled to Florida with his brother.
Tate and his brother, Tristan, arrived in Fort Lauderdale on a private jet on Thursday, according to their spokesperson.
“Our attorney general, James Uthmeier, is looking into what state hooks and jurisdiction we may have to be able to deal with this,” DeSantis said at a press conference. “But the reality is no, Florida is not a place where you’re welcome with that type of conduct.”
“I don’t know how it came to this,” he added. “We were not involved. We were not notified. I found out through the media.”
Uthmeier said he directed his office to “work with our state law enforcement partners to conduct a preliminary inquiry into these individuals.”
“Florida has zero tolerance for human trafficking and violence against women,” he said. “If any of these alleged crimes trigger Florida jurisdiction, we will hold them accountable.”
WATCH:
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) says that Andrew Tate is not welcome in his state:
“Our attorney general, James Uthmeier, is looking into what state hooks and jurisdiction we may have to be able to deal with this. But the reality is no, Florida is not a place where you’re… pic.twitter.com/Y2Ofi2Oo46
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) February 27, 2025
The Tate brothers had been banned from leaving Romania after they were arrested in 2022 on charges of “rape, human trafficking, money laundering and starting an organized crime group,” CNN reported.
They have denied any wrongdoing.
Romanian prosecutors said they only lifted the travel restrictions on the two brothers while “all other obligations remain in effect, including the requirement to appear before judicial authorities whenever summoned.”
During a press conference on Thursday, President Donald Trump said he had no knowledge of the travel restrictions being lifted after several reports said the Trump administration pushed Romania to do so.
Daily Wire editor emeritus Ben Shapiro addressed the issue of Andrew Tate during an episode of his show last month.
Anyone who wants to talk with Andrew Tate should talk with him. Obviously. It’s a free country! The REAL PROBLEM is so many cheerleading and applauding a self-professed pornographer who opposes the most basic standards of virtue.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) January 13, 2025