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Rightwing influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan have flown out of Romania on a private jet bound for the US, after prosecutors lifted restrictions banning them from leaving the country where they were held on multiple charges including sexual exploitation.
The brothers, who are dual US and UK nationals, have been detained in Romania since 2022 on charges of human trafficking, sexual exploitation and money laundering, as well as operating an organised crime group. They have denied wrongdoing.
Romanian authorities on Thursday said they had “modified” the ban on the defendants leaving Romania, although prosecutors also said the criminal prosecution against the pair continued. The UK has also been seeking to extradite the brothers.
People familiar with the case said the Tates flew out of the country aboard a private plane bound for Florida in the US. A jet that departed Bucharest airport at about 5am local time was heading towards the US, according to flight tracking service Flightradar24.
Romania’s foreign minister Emil Hurezeanu told the Financial Times on Thursday that he had “no information whatsoever about the release” of the brothers, nor “information about US requests or inquiries”. A Bucharest-based lawyer for the pair declined to comment.
The surprise decision by Romanian authorities to lift travel restrictions on the self-described misogynist influencers came after US pressure, as first reported by the FT. Washington has pushed Romanian authorities to lift restrictions on the brothers, including interventions from high-ranking officials.
Tate’s detention in Romania has attracted significant interest in the US, where it has been championed by rightwing social media, with figures such as former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, a leading supporter of President Donald Trump, conducting sympathetic interviews.
Andrew Tate has built a following of several millions on online platforms targeted at young men that promote masculinity and reject feminism. He moved to Romania in 2017, claiming the country’s legal system was more permissive in regards to personal freedoms 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 human trafficking. Police in the county of Bedfordshire who are leading that investigation said on Thursday they were working with the Romanian authorities as part of an ongoing probe but that they had no further comment.
A group of four British alleged victims of Tate issued a joint statement saying they were “in disbelief and feel re-traumatised by the news that the Romanian authorities have given into pressure from the Trump administration to allow Andrew Tate” to travel to the US.
“It is clear that there is now a major risk that the criminal prosecution for his alleged crimes in Romania will not proceed,” they added.
Matthew Jury, their solicitor at McCue Jury & Partners, called on UK authorities to take “immediate steps to secure their extradition to the UK” to face charges.
Romania has become an unlikely battleground for pro-Trump influencers who have also criticised the country’s authorities for annulling the first round of its presidential election in December. The authorities alleged extensive Russian meddling to benefit the far-right candidate Călin Georgescu who finished first.
Prosecutors on Wednesday began a criminal investigation into Georgescu, with legal experts suggesting the allegations against him could be used to block him from running in repeat elections set for May.
Analysts said the two cases underscored the extreme political pressures on Romania’s justice system.
Costin Ciobanu, a researcher at Aarhus University who is a specialist in Romania, said recent events were “likely to spark internal debates and raise questions about how the judiciary” has handled the cases.
Additional reporting by Suzi Ring and Peter Andringa in London
