Fruit grower’s ethics complaint alleges Molina Pérez misused legislative process

Sen. Eliezer Molina Pérez

By THE STAR STAFF

The agroindustrial company Tropical Fruit LLC, which employs some 200 workers, filed an ethics complaint Monday against Sen. Eliezer Molina Pérez alleging a sustained pattern of abuse of power, discrimination, incitement to violence and misuse of the legislative process.

The complaint also requests that the case be referred to the Office of the Special Independent Prosecutor Panel (OPFEI by its initials in Spanish) and the Department of Justice.

According to the filing, the conduct described could constitute ethical violations as well as potential criminal and civil rights offenses under both state and federal law. Contacted by the STAR, Tropical Fruit referred all comments to attorney Carlos Sagardia, who confirmed the information. 

Tropical Fruit, which has operated a privately owned agricultural farm in Guayanilla for more than four decades, claims that Molina used his public office to orchestrate a campaign of public, media and legislative harassment against the company. The firm argues that the senator’s actions were not tied to any legitimate legislative purpose but were instead designed to punish the business and force its operational collapse.

Among the most serious allegations, the complaint asserts that Molina participated in -- and encouraged -- the illegal removal of a private gate and unauthorized entry by third parties into the property last July. Tropical Fruit contends that the incident compromised employee safety, damaged agricultural infrastructure and disrupted the company’s export operations, prompting it to bolster private security for months.

The document further accuses the senator of disseminating false claims that a public road runs through the farm. According to Tropical Fruit, certifications from the Puerto Rico Highways and Transportation Authority, the Department of Transportation and Public Works, and previous court rulings have all affirmed the private nature of the access road in question.

The complaint also highlights multiple public statements attributed to Molina on social media and in public forums that the company characterizes as hate speech and antisemitic rhetoric. These include comparisons of the farm to the “Gaza Strip” and references to the owners’ national origin and religion. Tropical Fruit alleges that such comments encouraged third parties to engage in actions targeting the private property.

As part of what the company describes as a retaliatory pattern, Tropical Fruit argues that Molina promoted Senate Bill 686 and took an active role in Senate Resolution 258, both of which sought to designate the farm as a natural reserve -- a move the company equates to a de facto expropriation without compensation or due process.

The document also raises concerns about the conduct of a legislative site visit in December 2025, alleging a lack of impartiality, the deliberate exclusion of the company, and the use of the process to produce media content rather than conduct an objective investigation under Senate rules.

The Senate Ethics Commission did not answer requests for comment.