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Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Part I · Chapter 45 — Foreign Relations

§ 956. Conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim, or injure persons or damage property in a foreign country

Statutory text

(a)
(1)

Whoever, within the jurisdiction of the United States, conspires with one or more other persons, regardless of where such other person or persons are located, to commit at any place outside the United States an act that would constitute the offense of murder, kidnapping, or maiming if committed in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States shall, if any of the conspirators commits an act within the jurisdiction of the United States to effect any object of the conspiracy, be punished as provided in subsection (a)(2).

(2)

The punishment for an offense under subsection (a)(1) of this section is—

(A)

imprisonment for any term of years or for life if the offense is conspiracy to murder or kidnap; and

(B)

imprisonment for not more than 35 years if the offense is conspiracy to maim.

(b)

Whoever, within the jurisdiction of the United States, conspires with one or more persons, regardless of where such other person or persons are located, to damage or destroy specific property situated within a foreign country and belonging to a foreign government or to any political subdivision thereof with which the United States is at peace, or any railroad, canal, bridge, airport, airfield, or other public utility, public conveyance, or public structure, or any religious, educational, or cultural property so situated, shall, if any of the conspirators commits an act within the jurisdiction of the United States to effect any object of the conspiracy, be imprisoned not more than 25 years.

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. Pub. L. 80–645 · 62 Stat. 683

    Enacted · 18 U.S.C. § 956

    June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 744

    Source evidence

    Code source credit
    June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 744

  2. Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994

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

    Substituted · 18 U.S.C. § 956(a)

    Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $5,000”

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–322 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”;

  3. Pub. L. 104–132 title VII § 704(a) · 110 Stat. 1214

    1. Substituted · 18 U.S.C. § 956

      Pub. L. 104–132 substituted “Conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim, or injure persons or damage property in a foreign country” for “Conspiracy to injure property of foreign government” as section catchline

    2. Amended · 18 U.S.C. § 956

      Pub. L. 104–132 amended text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows:

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 104–132 substituted “Conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim, or injure persons or damage property in a foreign country” for “Conspiracy to injure property of foreign government” as section catchline and amended text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows:

    “(a) If two or more persons within the jurisdiction of the United States conspire to injure or destroy specific property situated within a foreign country and belonging to a foreign government or to any political subdivision thereof with which the United States is at peace, or any railroad, canal, bridge, or other public utility so situated, and if one or more such persons commits an act within the jurisdiction of the United States to effect the object of the conspiracy, each of the parties to the conspiracy shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both. “(b) Any indictment or information under this section shall describe the specific property which it was the object of the conspiracy to injure or destroy.”

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (a) In General.— Section 956 of chapter 45 of title 18, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: “§956. Conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim, or injure persons or damage property in a foreign country “(a) (1) Whoever, within the jurisdiction of the United States, conspires with one or more other persons, regardless of where such other person or persons are located, to commit at any place outside the United States an act that would constitute the offense of murder, kidnapping, or maiming if committed in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States shall, if any of the conspirators commits an act within the jurisdiction of the United States to effect any object of the conspiracy, be punished as provided in subsection (a)(2). “(2) The punishment for an offense under subsection (a)(1) of this section is— “(A) imprisonment for any term of years or for life if the offense is conspiracy to murder or kidnap; and “(B) imprisonment for not more than 35 years if the offense is conspiracy to maim. “(b) Whoever, within the jurisdiction of the United States, conspires with one or more persons, regardless of where such other person or persons are located, to damage or destroy specific property situated within a foreign country and belonging to a foreign government or to any political subdivision thereof with which the United States is at peace, or any railroad, canal, bridge, airport, airfield, or other public utility, public conveyance, or public structure, or any religious, educational, or cultural property so situated, shall, if any of the conspirators commits an act within the jurisdiction of the United States to effect any object of the conspiracy, be imprisoned not more than 25 years.”.

3 of 4 references resolved to an enrolled provision · 1 partial

Notes

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on section 234 of title 22, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Foreign Relations and Intercourse (June 15, 1917, ch. 30, title VIII, § 5, 40 Stat. 226).

Editorial Notes

Amendments1994–1996 · 2 rounds

1996

Pub. L. 104–132 substituted “Conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim, or injure persons or damage property in a foreign country” for “Conspiracy to injure property of foreign government” as section catchline and amended text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows:

“(a) If two or more persons within the jurisdiction of the United States conspire to injure or destroy specific property situated within a foreign country and belonging to a foreign government or to any political subdivision thereof with which the United States is at peace, or any railroad, canal, bridge, or other public utility so situated, and if one or more such persons commits an act within the jurisdiction of the United States to effect the object of the conspiracy, each of the parties to the conspiracy shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.

“(b) Any indictment or information under this section shall describe the specific property which it was the object of the conspiracy to injure or destroy.”

1994

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $5,000”.

Credits

1948–1996 · 3 acts
  1. 1948June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 744
  2. 1994Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(K), , 108 Stat. 2147
  3. 1996Pub. L. 104–132, title VII, § 704(a), , 110 Stat. 1294.
Show as published

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 744; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(K), , 108 Stat. 2147; Pub. L. 104–132, title VII, § 704(a), , 110 Stat. 1294.)

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