Chiquita banana company charged in terror investigation

March 14, 2007

Cincinnati - Chiquita Brands International was charged Wednesday with doing business with a terrorist organization in Columbia.

The company said Wednesday it has reached a plea arrangement with federal authorities under which it will pay a fine of $25 million, payable in five annual installments, to resolve charges that it paid money to a terrorist organization.

The announcement came moments after the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeffrey Taylor accused the Cincinnati-based banana producer with paying -- through its Colombia subsidiary Banadex -- a right-wing paramilitary group in Uraba and Santa Marta, two areas of Colombia where Chiquita grew bananas.

"From in or about 1997 though on or about Feb. 4, 2004, defendant Chiquita made over 100 payments to the AUC (United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia) totaling over $1.7 million," the 17-page information said.

It said Chiquita had also paid money to two left-wing organizations from about 1989 until about 1997, when those groups controlled areas where the company grew bananas. It identified the groups as FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) and ELN (National Liberation Army).