Andrew Tate lands in Florida and says he and brother Tristan ‘misunderstood’

The pair, accused of sexual misconduct and money laundering in Romania, have arrived in the US after help from the Trump administration in having their passports returned.

Andrew Tate declared he and his brother had been “misunderstood” as they arrived in Florida on a private jet from Romania days after President Trump’s administration lobbied for the return of his passport.

Tate, a 38-year-old social media influencer who has declared himself a misogynist, and his brother Tristan, 36, were arrested in 2022 in Romania, where they face charges of sexual misconduct, money laundering and forming an organised crime group to sexually exploit women.

They are also accused of rape and human trafficking in the UK. Bedfordshire police are seeking to extradite them.

The brothers, who are dual UK and US citizens and vocal supporters of Trump, deny any wrongdoing. Their case has become a cause célèbre in right-wing circles. They departed from Romania early on Thursday morning and arrived at Florida’s Fort Lauderdale international airport just after 11am local time. They were met by a media scrum as they exited the airport.

“We live in a democratic society where it’s innocent until proven guilty, and I think my brother and I are largely misunderstood,” Andrew Tate said. “There’s a lot of opinions, a lot of things that go around about us on the internet. We’ve yet to be convicted of any crimes in our lives ever. We have no criminal record anywhere on the planet, ever.”

Andrew Tate (L) and Tristan Tate (R) arrive in the United States.

He added that a Romanian prosecutor had agreed to release the brothers because there was no active indictment against them in the country. In December a Romanian appeals court ruled that the case could not go to trial due to legal and procedural irregularities. On Thursday, Tate claimed it had been “dismissed”, although that does not seem technically to be the case.

“It’s extremely important that we stop allowing media spin wrap up smears, lies or carefully constructed narratives from George Soros-funded operations, trying to destroy the reputations of good people who have no intention to do anything other than follow the law,” he said.

The pair were then whisked away from the airport in two waiting SUVs. Their destination was not immediately clear.

The jet that flew the brothers to the US was registered to a company called Wood Management, according to flight tracking data. Upon landing, immigration officers cleared the Tates on their aircraft, rather than through the usual channels at the airport’s executive jet facility.

Andrew Tate (L) and his brother Tristan Tate are pictured inside The Court of Appeals in Bucharest in December.

Workers wheeled two trolleys laden with about 30 suitcases and bags off the aircraft.

A spokesperson for Andrew Tate said he had some assets including properties, vehicles, bank accounts and company shares returned to him while others remain under “precautionary seizure”. The returned items included five properties, one plot of land and cars including a Ferrari 488 GTB, a Mercedes-Benz V-Klasse, two Audis and a Nissan.

Eugen Vidineac, his lawyer, said: “Although some assets remain under precautionary seizure, this decision marks an important step towards justice. We remain committed to full transparency and will continue to uphold our legal rights.”

Andrew Tate’s 100 per cent stake in War Room Vegas, a gambling business, has been returned, along with Tristan Tate’s half share in SC Spirit House Enterprises.

The Times