Priceline Pays Fine for Breaking Cuba Sanctions

Priceline.com Inc. has become at least the second online travel company to get slapped with a fine from the U.S. federal government for violating the longstanding sanctions on Cuba.

Priceline, based in Norwalk, Conn., agreed to pay $12,250 after an internal audit revealed one of its foreign subsidiaries provided “limited travel services to Cuban nationals,” company spokesman Brian Ek said Tuesday. Ek said he could not reveal where the Cubans were traveling to or from.

A statement from the Treasury Department said a subsidiary of Priceline “provided travel-related services in which Cuba or Cuban nationals had an interest.” The department said Priceline violated regulations on Cuba between September 2004 and November 2007 but did not say in how many instances.