§ 878. Threats and extortion against foreign officials, official guests, or internationally protected persons

Legislative history

Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.

1. 1976

   Act for the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Internationally Protected Persons

   Pub. L. 94–467 § 8 · 90 Stat. 1997

   Enacted · 18 U.S.C. § 878

   Added Pub. L. 94–467, § 8, Oct. 8, 1976, 90 Stat. 2000

   Source evidence

   Code source credit
   Added Pub. L. 94–467, § 8, Oct. 8, 1976, 90 Stat. 2000

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   Sec. 8. Chapter 41 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding a new section 878 as follows: “§ 878. Threats and extortion against foreign officials, official guests, or internationally protected persons “(a) Whoever knowingly and willfully threatens to violate section Ante, pp. 1997, 1999. 18 USC 1201. 112, 1116, or 1201 by killing, kidnapping, or assaulting a foreign official, official guest, or internationally protected person shall be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both, except that imprisonment for a threatened assault shall not exceed three years. “(b) Whoever in connection with any violation of subsection (a) or actual violation of section 112, 1116, or 1201 makes any extortionate demand shall be fined not more than $20,000 or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both. “(c) For the purpose of this section ‘foreign official’, ‘internationally Definitions. protected person’, and ‘official guest’ shall have the same meanings as those provided in section 1116(a) of this title. Ante, p. 1997. “(d) If the victim of an offense under subsection (a) is an internationally protected person, the United States may exercise jurisdiction over the offense if the alleged offender is present within the United States, irrespective of the place where the offense was committed or the nationality of the victim or the alleged offender. As used in this subsection, the United States includes all areas under the jurisdiction of the United States including any of the places within the provisions of secions 5 and 7 of this title and section 101 (34) of the Federal Aviation 18 USC 5, 7. Act of 1958, as amended (49 U.S.C. 1301(34))”.

2. 1977

   Pub. L. 95–163 § 17(b)(1) · 91 Stat. 1278

   Substituted · 18 U.S.C. § 878(d)

   Pub. L. 95–163 substituted reference to section 101(35) of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 for reference to section 101(34) of such Act

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 95–163 substituted reference to section 101(35) of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 for reference to section 101(34) of such Act.

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   (1) renumbering paragraphs (11) through (38), and any references thereto, as paragraphs (12) through (39), respectively; and

3. 1978

   An Act to provide for Government guarantee of private loans of certain air carriers for purchase of modern aircraft and equipment, to foster the development and use of modern transport aircraft by such carriers, and for other purposes

   Pub. L. 95–504 § 2(b) · 92 Stat. 1705

   Substituted · 18 U.S.C. § 878(d)

   Pub. L. 95–504 substituted reference to section 101(38) of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 for reference to section 101(35) of such Act

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 95–504 substituted reference to section 101(38) of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 for reference to section 101(35) of such Act.

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   (b) Section 101 of such Act is amended by renumbering the paragraphs of such section, including all references thereto, as paragraphs (1) through (41), respectively.

4. 1994

   Pub. L. 103–272 § 5(e)(2) · 108 Stat. 745

   Substituted · 18 U.S.C. § 878(d)

   Pub. L. 103–272 substituted “section 46501(2) of title 49” for “section 101(38) of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended (49 U.S.C. 1301(38))”

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 103–272 substituted “section 46501(2) of title 49” for “section 101(38) of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended (49 U.S.C. 1301(38))”.

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   (2) In the last sentence of sections 112(e), 878(d), 1116(c), and 1201(e), strike “section” and all that follows and substitute “section 46501(2) of title 49.”

5. 1994

   Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994

   Pub. L. 103–322 § 330016(1)(K) · 108 Stat. 1796

   Substituted · 18 U.S.C. § 878(a)

   Pub. L. 103–322, § 330016(1)(K), substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $5,000”

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–322, § 330016(1)(K), substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $5,000”.

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   (K) in sections 35, 81, 112, 152, 153, 155, 212, 213, 214, 285, 334, 351, 435, 436, 438, 471, 472, 473, 476, 477, 478, 481, 485, 487, 488, 497, 498, 505, 506, 508, 509, 541, 542, 543, 544, 546, 547, 548, 549, 550, 551, 552, 592, 593, 602, 603, 606, 607, 642, 655, 658, 659, 660, 661, 663, 751, 799, 844, 872, 874, 875, 876, 877, 878, 914, 915, 924, 953, 954, 956, 1004, 1010, 1011, 1015, 1017, 1025, 1028, 1071, 1073, 1074, 1163, 1169, 1231, 1265, 1363, 1421, 1422, 1423, 1424, 1425, 1426, 1427, 1428, 1429, 1461, 1462, 1463, 1465, 1503, 1505, 1506, 1507, 1510, 1581, 1582, 1583, 1584, 1585, 1588, 1658, 1659, 1717, 1732, 1735, 1737, 1751, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1915, 1991, 2072, 2073, 2113, 2217, 2152, 2197, 2231, 2244, 2314, 2316, 2317, 2344, and 2701 by striking “not more than $5,000” each place it appears and inserting “under this title”;

6. 1994

   Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994

   Pub. L. 103–322 § 330016(1)(N) · 108 Stat. 1796

   Substituted · 18 U.S.C. § 878(b)

   Pub. L. 103–322, § 330016(1)(N), substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $20,000”

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103–322, § 330016(1)(N), substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $20,000”.

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   (N) in sections 844, 878, 1728, 1955, 1958, 2321, 2384, and 2385 by striking “not more than $20,000” each place it appears and inserting “under this title”;

7. 1996

   Pub. L. 104–132 § 705(a)(4) · 110 Stat. 1214

   Struck · 18 U.S.C. § 878(a)

   Pub. L. 104–132, § 705(a)(4), struck out “by killing, kidnapping, or assaulting a foreign official, official guest, or internationally protected person” before “shall be fined”

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104–132, § 705(a)(4), struck out “by killing, kidnapping, or assaulting a foreign official, official guest, or internationally protected person” before “shall be fined”.

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   (4) in section 878(a), by striking “by killing, kidnapping, or assaulting a foreign official, official guest, or internationally protected person”;

8. 1996

   Pub. L. 104–132 § 721(e)(1) · 110 Stat. 1214

   Inserted · 18 U.S.C. § 878(c)

   Pub. L. 104–132, § 721(e)(1), inserted “ ‘national of the United States’,” before “and ‘official guest’ ”

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 104–132, § 721(e)(1), inserted “ ‘national of the United States’,” before “and ‘official guest’ ”.

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   (1) in subsection (c), by inserting “‘national of the United States’,” before “and”; and

9. 1996

   Pub. L. 104–132 § 721(e)(2) · 110 Stat. 1214

   1. Inserted · 18 U.S.C. § 878(d)

      Pub. L. 104–132, § 721(e)(2), inserted first sentence

   2. Struck · 18 U.S.C. § 878(d)

      Pub. L. 104–132, § 721(e)(2), struck out former first sentence which read as follows: “If the victim of an offense under subsection (a) is an internationally protected person, the United States may exercise jurisdiction over the offense if the alleged offender is present within the United States, irrespective of the place where the offense was committed or the nationality of the victim or the alleged offender.”

   Source evidence

   Code amendment note
   Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 104–132, § 721(e)(2), inserted first sentence and struck out former first sentence which read as follows: “If the victim of an offense under subsection (a) is an internationally protected person, the United States may exercise jurisdiction over the offense if the alleged offender is present within the United States, irrespective of the place where the offense was committed or the nationality of the victim or the alleged offender.”

   Enacted provision · exact public law section
   (2) in subsection (d), by striking the first sentence and inserting the following: “If the victim of an offense under subsection (a) is an internationally protected person outside the United States, the United States may exercise jurisdiction over the offense if (1) the victim is a representative, officer, employee, or agent of the United States, (2) an offender is a national of the United States, or (3) an offender is afterwards found in the United States.”.

10 of 10 references resolved to an enrolled provision