Officials in the Sunshine State are looking into legal measures to potentially prosecute a pair of controversial — and possibly criminal — social media influencers. On Thursday morning, brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate arrived in Fort Lauderdale, after travel restrictions imposed on the two by Romanian authorities had been lifted.

Known for their controversial social media campaigns promoting materialism, promiscuity, and sexual violence, the Tate brothers have also been charged with a lengthy series of crimes, including the rape, kidnapping, and sex trafficking of minors. In response to the Tates’ appearance in Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis (R) announced that he and his administration are considering possible methods of investigating and prosecuting the two for their crimes.

“The reality is: No, Florida is not a place where you’re welcome with that type of conduct,” DeSantis announced at a press conference Thursday, referring to the allegations leveled against the Tate brothers. He also reported that Florida officials had been unaware that the Tates were leaving Romania, where they have been under arrest since 2022, for the U.S. “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,” he said. The governor added, “We have no involvement in that. I read about it through the media.” DeSantis also said that Florida’s Attorney General James Uthmeier (R) would be “looking into what state hooks and jurisdictions we have to deal with this.”

Following the governor’s comments, Uthmeier announced, “I directed my office to work with our state law enforcement partners to conduct a preliminary inquiry into these individuals.” He added, “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.”

The Tates have been under investigation for criminal conduct in Romania since 2022, when the U.S. embassy there received a report that an American citizen was being forcefully detained by the brothers. A police raid on a pornographic webcam studio used by the Tates found four women, two of whom said that they were being held against their wills. As the Romanian investigation has continued, the charges have multiplied, now including rape, human trafficking, kidnapping, money laundering, attempting to influence or intimidate witnesses, and forming a criminal organization. Additional charges include the rape and trafficking of minors. Last year, the Westminster Magistrate’s Court in Britain issued an arrest warrant for the Tates and attempted to extradite the two from Romania to face prosecution.

Allegations of sexual violence have dogged the elder and more famous of the Tate brothers, Andrew, for nearly a decade. He was arrested in Britain in 2015 on charges of sexual assault and rape, although prosecutors decided not to pursue the case further. In his widely-viewed social media posts and videos, Andrew Tate has repeatedly discussed rape and violence against women, including talking about how to shatter a woman’s cheekbones if she resists rape. He has also spoken numerous times about grooming young women and coercing them into online prostitution via the webcam sites he and his brother run.

Also Thursday, President Donald Trump rebuffed claims that his administration negotiated with the Romanian government to lift the travel restrictions imposed on the Tates. “I know nothing about that,” Trump said when questioned by reporters. He added, “I just know nothing about it, we’ll check it out, we’ll let you know.” Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu also affirmed that the Trump administration had no involvement with the Tates’ travel, rejecting the claim that he discussed the matter with Trump’s Special Envoy Richard Grenell. Ciolacu added, “Romania & USA share the same values regarding the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens.”

During his press conference, DeSantis suggested that the Trump administration may also pursue criminal investigations and charges against the Tates, who are dual U.S. and U.K. citizens. “Clearly, the federal government has jurisdiction whether they want to rebuff his entry into the United States,” the Florida governor said. He continued, “I have confidence that whether it’s [U.S. Attorney General] Pam Bondi or [U.S. Homeland Security Secretary] Kristi Noem, that they will be looking at that.”

Following the Tates’ return to the U.S., the Tampa Bay Young Republicans announced that the brothers would be welcome to speak at one of the Republican group’s events. “As free speech absolutists, the Tate’s haven’t been formally convicted of any crimes and are welcome to speak to our group,” the organization said in a post to X. The post was met with backlash, noting the Tate brothers’ suspected involvement in sex trafficking.

In comments to The Washington Stand, Joseph Backholm, senior fellow for Biblical Worldview at Family Research Council, said, “As with all good deceptions, [Andrew] Tate has leveraged an element of truth, which is that it’s not bad to be a man and the culture shouldn’t make young men feel bad for being men.” Backholm continued, “Tate’s problem is that he seems to have no understanding of what it means to be a good man so he’s offering young men the false choice between something effeminate or something toxic and encouraging them to become something toxic. The better and biblical path is neither effeminate nor toxic, but virtuous.”

Backholm noted that, although Andrew Tate has not been convicted yet, his “behavior, especially towards women, and the attitudes he encourages makes him something of a threat.” He added that “the information that is available about the Tates because of what they have said and done on camera makes them people we don’t need to go out of our way to assist. Sometimes it’s preferable to let people reap what they sow and, for me, this is one of those cases.”