The pair had previously been prohibited from leaving the country, where they face rape and trafficking charges.
Andrew and Tristan Tate, prominent social media influencers facing criminal charges in Bucharest, left Romania for the US on Thursday. Both had previously been banned from traveling outside the country amid the ongoing legal proceedings against them.
The Tate brothers, both dual US-UK citizens, were arrested in Romania in 2022 on charges including human trafficking, sexual misconduct, money laundering, and forming an organized crime group. They have denied any wrongdoing but were placed under house arrest following three months in police custody. Their movement has been restricted since their release.
According to media reports, the brothers left Bucharest on a private jet early Thursday and were heading to the US state of Florida after the Romanian authorities returned their US passports. The Romanian special prosecutor’s service (DIICOT), which is handling the case, confirmed on Thursday that it had lifted the travel restrictions preventing them from leaving the country.
The development comes amid reports that US President Donald Trump’s administration had been pressuring Romania to scrap the travel ban on the brothers, who are outspoken Trump supporters.
According to the Financial Times, US officials initially raised the issue during a phone call with the Romanian government earlier this month, while Trump’s envoy for special missions, Richard Grenell, later approached Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu with the request at the Munich Security Conference. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, however, later denied being pressured by the Trump administration with regard to the case.
The first criminal case against the brothers stalled last month, when the Bucharest appeals court returned it to the prosecutors, citing flaws in the indictment. However, according to the DIICOT, the charges were not dropped and the prosecutors are compiling a new case. It added that if the brothers do not appear for any upcoming court hearings in Romania, their travel bans could be reinstated or they could be arrested. According to the BBC, the brothers are expected to return to Romania at the end of March.
Apart from Romania, the two also face charges including rape and human trafficking in the UK, and a court in Bucharest ruled last year that they can be extradited to Britain once the legal proceedings against them in Romania are concluded.
