Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said Tuesday that his office is launching a criminal investigation into Andrew and Tristan Tate, highly contentious influencers wanted for human trafficking charges.
The British-American brothers, who were awaiting trial on human trafficking charges in Romania, arrived in Florida in late February after Romanian authorities lifted their travel restrictions.
Their return has drawn a lot of criticism, particularly from Florida officials. Republican. Gov. Ron DeSantis said the brothers were not welcome in the state and directed Uthmeier to examine whether Florida had any legal grounds to take action against them, NBC News reported.
“These guys have themselves publicly admitted to participating in what very much appears to be soliciting, trafficking, preying upon women around the world,” Uthmeier said in a statement.
“In Florida, this type of behavior is viewed as atrocious,” he added. “We’re not going to accept it. They chose to come here and set their feet down in this state, and we’re going to pursue every tool we have within our legal authority to hold them accountable.”
Uthmeier stated that his office had reviewed the evidence and issued subpoenas and search warrants as part of the now-active criminal investigation, NBC News reported.
He did not specify which crimes Florida authorities are investigating but confirmed that officials are determining whether any of the allegations against the brothers fall under the state’s jurisdiction.
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