Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73
§2271 Conspiracy to destroy vessels
Title 18 › Part PART I— - CRIMES › Chapter CHAPTER 111— - SHIPPING › § 2271
Summary
Planning with someone in or out of the U.S. to wreck or destroy a vessel at sea or in the U.S. to harm people who insure the ship or who lent money using the ship as security, or preparing such a ship in the U.S., is punishable by a fine, up to 10 years in prison, or both.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §2271
Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Whoever, on the high seas, or within the United States, willfully and corruptly conspires, combines, and confederates with any other person, such other person being either within or without the United States, to cast away or otherwise destroy any vessel, with intent to injure any person that may have underwritten or may thereafter underwrite any policy of insurance thereon or on goods on board thereof, or with intent to injure any person that has lent or advanced, or may lend or advance, any money on such vessel on bottomry or respondentia; or Whoever, within the United States, builds, or fits out any vessel to be cast away or destroyed, with like intent— Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 487 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 296, 35 Stat. 1146). Mandatory punishment provision was rephrased in the alternative. Reference to a person who “aids in building or fitting out any vessel” was omitted as unnecessary in view of section 2 making all aiders guilty as principal. Changes in phraseology were made.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $10,000” in last par.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 2271
Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73