Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73

§226 Bribery affecting port security

Title 18 › Part PART I— - CRIMES › Chapter CHAPTER 11— - BRIBERY, GRAFT, AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST › § 226

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

It is illegal to give, offer, promise, demand, or accept a bribe to help commit or plan international or domestic terrorism if the bribe is meant to make someone commit or allow fraud, or to get an official or other person to break or ignore their legal duties in a way that affects a secure or restricted area or a seaport. It is also illegal to take or ask for a payment to be influenced in an official act affecting those areas when the person taking the payment knows the influence will be used to commit or plan terrorism. "Secure or restricted area" — a part of a vessel or facility marked as secure in an approved security plan. "International terrorism" and "domestic terrorism" — the kinds of terrorism defined by federal law.

Full Legal Text

Title 18, §226

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Whoever knowingly—

(1)directly or indirectly, corruptly gives, offers, or promises anything of value to any public or private person, with intent to commit international terrorism or domestic terrorism (as those terms are defined under section 2331), to—

(A)influence any action or any person to commit or aid in committing, or collude in, or allow, any fraud, or make opportunity for the commission of any fraud affecting any secure or restricted area or seaport; or

(B)induce any official or person to do or omit to do any act in violation of the lawful duty of such official or person that affects any secure or restricted area or seaport; or

(2)directly or indirectly, corruptly demands, seeks, receives, accepts, or agrees to receive or accept anything of value personally or for any other person or entity in return for—

(A)being influenced in the performance of any official act affecting any secure or restricted area or seaport; and

(B)knowing that such influence will be used to commit, or plan to commit, international or domestic terrorism,

(b)In this section, the term “secure or restricted area” means an area of a vessel or facility designated as secure in an approved security plan, as required under section 70103 of title 46, United States Code, and the rules and regulations promulgated under that section.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

18 U.S.C. § 226

Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73