In short:
The Tate brothers have arrived in Florida after Romanian authorities lifted a travel ban keeping them in the country
They're still facing human trafficking and money laundering charges in Romania, as well as legal challenges in the UK and the US
What's next?
Florida's attorney general says there will be a "preliminary inquiry” into the brothers
Andrew and Tristan Tate, who are charged with human trafficking in Romania, have flown to the US after authorities lifted restrictions banning them from leaving the country.
The brothers, who have amassed millions of online followers by promoting an extremist, misogynistic view of masculinity, had been unable to leave Romania where they were arrested on suspicion of human trafficking in 2022.
They're both accused of human trafficking, with Andrew Tate also accused of rape.
The pair denied the allegations.
And when they arrived in Fort Lauderdale, in the US state of Florida, Andrew Tate said they'd done nothing wrong and were "largely misunderstood".
Who is Andrew Tate?
He's a former kick-boxer and a self-described misogynist with 10 million followers on X.
The influencer pedals so-called motivational content and get-rich-quick schemes geared towards heterosexual men.
He often posts on social media saying things like women are men's property, shouldn't vote and can't drive.
Andrew Tate's effect in Australian classrooms
Photo shows Andrew Tate on private jet
Tate once said women should "bear responsibility" for sexual assault and his online instructional videos direct men to, among other things, physically assault women who accuse them of cheating.
Andrew Tate has been living in Romania since 2017, but he and his brother Tristan have dual US and UK citizenship.
What is Andrew Tate charged with?
He and his brother Tristan Tate were formally indicted last year on charges they participated in a criminal ring that lured women to Romania and sexually exploited them.
Andrew Tate was also charged with rape.
But in December, a Romanian court ruled that the case could not go to trial because of multiple legal and procedural irregularities on the part of the prosecutors.
The case is still open, and there is also another ongoing investigation against them in Romania.
The second case is investigating allegations of:
- human trafficking
- the trafficking of minors
- sexual intercourse with a minor
- influencing statements
- money laundering
The pair have denied those charges as well.
They're also facing legal action in the UK and the US.
Four British women who accused Andrew Tate of sexual violence and physical abuse are suing him in the UK, after the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to prosecute him.
Tate described the allegations as "malicious and disputed".
And they were to be extradited to Britain in a separate case after UK authorities issued arrest warrants over allegations of sexual aggression in a case dating back to the period from 2012 to 2015.
Protecting teens from the 'manosphere'
Photo shows Graphic of three teen boys in school uniform looking at a giant phone with "manfluencer" Andrew Tate's face on it.
Late last year, a UK court ruled that police could seize more than 2.6 million pounds ($5.2 million) to cover years of unpaid taxes from the pair and freeze some of their accounts.
A police lawyer said the Tates were "serial" tax evaders who failed to pay any tax on 21 million pounds in revenue from their online businesses, including War Room, Hustlers University, Cobra Tate and OnlyFans, between 2014 and 2022.
And earlier this month, a US woman filed a civil complaint in Florida, accusing the brothers of conspiring to coerce her into sex work, luring her to Romania and defaming her after her testimony to Romanian authorities.
Why was Andrew Tate allowed to leave Romania?
Romanian prosecutors approved a request to change the travel restrictions on the Tates, the nation's Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIOCT) said in a statement.
But it did not say who made the request.
However, the brothers are still required to appear before judicial authorities when 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 DIOCT statement said.
Earlier this month, Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu said an official in US President Donald Trump's administration expressed interest in the brothers' case at the recent Munich Security Conference.
The minister insisted no pressure was applied to lift restrictions on the Tates.
Andrew Tate did not respond to reporters who asked why the brothers had come to Florida or whether Mr Trump helped in lifting their travel ban.
Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan are still required to front court in Romania, authorities say.
Trump says he knows 'nothing' about Tate's US return
Tate had previously linked the brothers' liberty to Mr Trump, who they've been vocal supporters of.
"The Tates will be free, Trump is the president. The good old days are back. And they will be better than ever. Hold on," he posted on social media.
During a press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer about a different matter, Mr Trump was asked by a reporter if his administration pressured the Romanian government to change their travel restrictions.
"I know nothing about that," he said.
"I don't know, you're saying he's on a plane right now?
"I just know nothing about it — we'll check it out, we'll let you know."
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was already meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House when news of the Tates' Florida flight broke. (Reuters: Carl Court)
Mr Starmer made a point of commenting about it to reporters.
"There's an English element here, so obviously it's important that justice is done," he said.
"Human trafficking is obviously, to my mind, a security risk, and so I will catch up with the story in due course."
Florida's 'preliminary inquiry' into Tates
Florida's Governor Ron de Santis — a fellow Republican with Mr Trump — told reporters the brothers were not welcome in his state.
"The reality is, no, Florida is not a place where you're welcome with that type of conduct," Mr DeSantis said.
"I don't know how it came to this, we were not involved, we were not notified. I found out through the media that this was something that was happening."
Florida's Attorney-General James Uthmeier his office would be conducting a "preliminary inquiry” into the brothers.
"Florida has zero tolerance for human trafficking and violence against women," Mr Uthmeier said.
"If any of these alleged crimes trigger Florida jurisdiction, we will hold them accountable."
Tate assets unfrozen
A court ruled in favour of an appeal by the Tates to lift the seizure of multiple assets, their spokesperson Mateea Petrescu said.
The assets include six luxury vehicles, land and properties, and company shares. All previously frozen bank accounts have been unfrozen, Ms Petrescu said.
"While some assets remain under precautionary seizure, this ruling marks a significant step toward justice," she said.
ABC with AP and Reuters