Tate Brothers Depart Romania Following Lifted Travel Ban
Internet personality Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan left Romania for the United States early Thursday on a private flight, according to Romanian news website G4media.ro. The departure comes after Romanian authorities lifted their travel restrictions, despite an ongoing criminal investigation.
The Tates are under judicial control in Romania while facing allegations of forming an organised criminal group, human trafficking, trafficking of minors, sexual intercourse with a minor, and money laundering. Both have denied any wrongdoing. While they are no longer barred from leaving the country, they must still report to Romanian authorities when summoned.
U.S. Pressure Allegedly Influenced Travel Restriction Decision
The Financial Times reported last week that officials in U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration had pressured Romanian authorities to allow the Tate brothers to travel. Romania’s Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu confirmed that their case was briefly mentioned in a conversation with Trump’s special envoy Richard Grenell during the Munich Security Conference earlier this month.
Despite these claims, Tate’s legal team has not publicly commented on the situation.
Legal Troubles Continue Despite Travel Clearance
The investigation into the Tates remains active, and Romanian prosecutors have stated that all other judicial obligations remain in place, including their requirement to check in with authorities when called. The initial attempt to bring the case to trial failed in December when a Bucharest court ruled that the indictment contained procedural flaws, sending it back to prosecutors.
While the brothers have now left Romania, their legal battles are far from over, and the outcome of the investigation could still lead to further legal consequences.
With inputs from Reuters