US governor says Tate brothers ‘not welcome’ in Florida

​​​​​​​By Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday said Andrew and Tristan Tate, social media influencers facing human trafficking charges in Romania, were “not welcome” in the US state after they arrived in Fort Lauderdale.

DeSantis told a news conference that Florida had no involvement in the brothers' return but added that the state had limited power to prevent their entry, according to NBC News.

“We have no involvement in that,” he said. “I read about it through the media.

"Florida is not a place where you're welcome with that type of conduct," he said.

The Tate brothers, dual citizens of the US and the UK, left Romania after authorities lifted a travel ban. They are under investigation for allegedly forming an organized criminal group involved in human trafficking, trafficking minors, engaging in sexual activity with a minor and money laundering. They deny any wrongdoing.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said his office was working with law enforcement to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the individuals.

“Florida has zero tolerance for human trafficking and violence against women. If any of these alleged crimes trigger Florida jurisdiction, we will hold them accountable.,” he wrote on X.