Romanian authorities conducted a raid on the residence of controversial online figure Andrew Tate on Wednesday morning. Tate, who was not present during the raid, is currently under investigation for human trafficking alongside his brother Tristan. Representatives for Tate confirmed the raid, which they stated is related to ongoing legal proceedings against the brothers. Both Andrew and Tristan Tate have consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Andrew Tate, 37, a former kickboxer with dual American-British citizenship, is known for his promotion of an ultra-masculine lifestyle online. His content led to bans from Facebook and Instagram in August 2022 for violating hate speech policies.
In June 2023, the Tate brothers were indicted in Romania on charges including human trafficking, rape, and forming a criminal gang to exploit women. Two Romanian women, Luana Radu and Georgiana Naghel, were also implicated in the case.
Additionally, in June 2023, four women in the UK filed a civil lawsuit against Tate, accusing him of various crimes committed between 2013 and 2016. Although an initial court decision permitted Tate to travel within the European Union, this ruling was later reversed, restricting his movement to Romania until his trial concludes.
Following the raid, Tate took to X (formerly Twitter) to respond, posting a video of his previous arrests. In the video, he claimed, “The Matrix is real. And they have a tried and true playbook. Slander is their number one tool and the process is the punishment. But unfortunately for them, Good always wins in the end.”
Romanian authorities have stated that the raid is part of a broader investigation into organized crime, human trafficking, and related offenses.
