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Right-wing influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan leapt out of Romania in private jets bound by the US after lifting restrictions that prohibit prosecutors from leaving a country detained on multiple charges, including sexual exploitation.
The brothers, who are dual citizens of the US and the UK, have been detained in Romania on charges of human trafficking, sexual exploitation and money laundering, running organized crime groups since 2022. They denied any misconduct.
Romanian authorities said Thursday they had “amended” the ban on defendants leaving Romania, but prosecutors also said criminal prosecutions against the pair continued. The UK is also trying to hand over the brothers.
Those familiar with the incident said Tates flew out on a private plane heading to Florida, USA. According to flight tracking service Flightradar24, the jet departed from Bucharest Airport around 5am local time, was heading for the US.
Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Houretzanu told the Financial Times Thursday that he had “no information regarding the release” of the brothers and “information regarding US requests and inquiries.” The pair’s Bucharest-based lawyer declined to comment.
As first reported by the FT, the surprising decision by the Romanian authorities to raise travel restrictions for self-explained misogyny influencers came after our pressure. Washington urged Romanian authorities to lift restrictions on their siblings, including intervention from high-ranking officials.
Tate’s detention in Romania has attracted great interest in the United States, defended on the right-wing social media, with sympathetic interviews with former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, a leading supporter of President Donald Trump.
Andrew Tate has built supporters on a million-plus online platform aimed at young men who promote masculinity and reject feminism. He moved to Romania in 2017 and argued that the country’s legal system is more tolerant about individual liberty than in the West.
The UK extradition request came after police obtained a European arrest warrant in March 2024 as part of an investigation into allegations of rape and trafficking. Police in Bedfordshire County, who leads the investigation, said Thursday that they were working with Romanian authorities as part of an ongoing investigation but had no further comment.
A group of four suspect victims from the UK issued a joint statement saying that “they are distrustful and feel that they are being rehearsed by news that Romanian authorities have put pressure on Andrew Tate to allow Andrew Tate.”
“It is clear now that there is a great risk that criminal prosecution for his alleged crimes in Romania will not progress,” they added.
Matthew Jury, an attorney for McCue Jury & Partners, has called on British authorities to face the charges by taking “immediate measures to ensure extradition to the UK.”
Romania has become an unlikely battlefield for pro-Trump influencers who criticized country authorities for negating the first round of the December presidential election. Authorities argued for widespread Russian interference to benefit Karin Georgek, the first far-right candidate who finished.
Prosecutors on Wednesday launched a criminal investigation into Georgek, suggesting that legal experts could use allegations against him to stop him from running in a recurring election set in May.
Analysts said the two cases highlighted extreme political pressures on Romania’s judicial system.
Costin Chiovani, a Romanian expert and researcher at Aafs University, said the recent events “will spark internal debate and likely raise questions about how the judiciary handles the judiciary.”
Additional Reports by Susie Ring and Peter Andringa of London
