Los Angeles [US], February 27 : Influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate, who are facing human trafficking charges in Romania, have reportedly left for the United States after a travel ban on them was lifted, an official confirmed on Thursday, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
The duo, who are keen supporters of US President Donald Trump, are also accused of forming a criminal gang to exploit women.
According to the publication, it remains unclear under what specific conditions the Tates were allowed to leave Romania. However, a Ministry of Internal Affairs official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the decision was "at the discretion of prosecutors."
The brothers hold dual US and British citizenship.
Romania's anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT, issued a statement confirming that prosecutors had approved a "request to modify the obligation preventing the defendants from leaving Romania." However, they mentioned that other judicial controls remained in place.
"These include the requirement to appear before judicial authorities whenever summoned. The defendants have been warned that deliberately violating these obligations may result in judicial control being replaced with a stricter deprivation of liberty measure," the statement read, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
Andrew Tate, 38, and Tristan Tate, 36, were arrested near Romania's capital, Bucharest, in late 2022, along with two Romanian women. They were formally indicted last year, and in April, a Bucharest tribunal ruled that a trial could begin, though no date has been set. The Tates have denied all charges.
Meanwhile, their departure from the country comes after Romania's Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu mentioned that a U.S. official had shown interest in their legal case at the Munich Security Conference. However, he added that it was not an attempt to influence the proceedings.