The articles, which appeared in an 18-page special section on May 3, were partially based on 2,000 internal voice mails that were said to have been obtained from "a high-ranking Chiquita executive."

At some point the reporter learned access codes to voice mail received by Chiquita executives, and began listening to their private phone messages.

The two principal writers had spent a year on the series, and had travelled to seven countries, interviewed "scores" of people including "numerous" Chiquita executives, and reviewed "extensive documentation."

But Chiquita executives ignored warnings from the company's own lawyers that it was improperly doing business with drug-dealing terrorists.

Chiquita executives said they were particularly angered that the newspaper implied that toxic pesticides were sprayed on workers from airplanes.

Chiquita executives said company policy prohibits illegal payments to government officials and they took the proper action in this case.

Mario Iguarán, Colombia's attorney general in 2007, said that he would seek extradition for several Chiquita executives as part of the weapons smuggling investigation.

They told Chiquita executives that the payments were illegal and ordered them to stop.

To date, none of the Chiquita executives have been indicted for terrorism, however the company did receive a fine of $25 million dollars.

Speaking in Spanish, Levant told an Hispanic Chiquita executive to go have sexual relations with his mother.