Title 18Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73

§2339D Receiving military-type training from a foreign terrorist organization

Title 18 › Part PART I— - CRIMES › Chapter CHAPTER 113B— - TERRORISM › § 2339D

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

It is a crime to knowingly get military-style training from a group that the Secretary of State has officially listed as a foreign terrorist organization. A person convicted can be fined, put in prison for ten years, or both. To be guilty, the person must know the group is a designated terrorist group or knows the group has carried out terrorist acts. The United States can charge someone for this crime even if the training happened outside the country when any of these apply: the person is a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident; the person is stateless but usually lives in the U.S.; the person is brought into or found in the U.S. after the training; some or all of the offense happened in the U.S.; the offense affects interstate or foreign commerce; or the person helped or planned the crime with someone who meets any of those conditions. The law uses these short meanings: “military-type training” — training that teaches ways to kill, cause serious injury, destroy property, disrupt vital services, or to make or use weapons (including weapons of mass destruction). “Serious bodily injury” — the legal meaning from another law. “Critical infrastructure” — systems vital to defense, security, the economy, health, or safety (for example, energy, water, telecom, banks, emergency services, and transport). “Foreign terrorist organization” — a group designated under section 219(a)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Full Legal Text

Title 18, §2339D

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Whoever knowingly receives military-type training from or on behalf of any organization designated at the time of the training by the Secretary of State under section 219(a)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality Act as a foreign terrorist organization shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for ten years, or both. To violate this subsection, a person must have knowledge that the organization is a designated terrorist organization (as defined in subsection (c)(4)), that the organization has engaged or engages in terrorist activity (as defined in section 212 of the Immigration and Nationality Act), or that the organization has engaged or engages in terrorism (as defined in section 140(d)(2) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989).
(b)There is extraterritorial Federal jurisdiction over an offense under this section. There is jurisdiction over an offense under subsection (a) if—
(1)an offender is a national of the United States (as defined in 11 So in original. The word “section” probably should appear after “in”. 101(a)(22) of the Immigration and Nationality Act) or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States (as defined in section 101(a)(20) of the Immigration and Nationality Act);
(2)an offender is a stateless person whose habitual residence is in the United States;
(3)after the conduct required for the offense occurs an offender is brought into or found in the United States, even if the conduct required for the offense occurs outside the United States;
(4)the offense occurs in whole or in part within the United States;
(5)the offense occurs in or affects interstate or foreign commerce; or
(6)an offender aids or abets any person over whom jurisdiction exists under this paragraph in committing an offense under subsection (a) or conspires with any person over whom jurisdiction exists under this paragraph to commit an offense under subsection (a).
(c)As used in this section—
(1)the term “military-type training” includes training in means or methods that can cause death or serious bodily injury, destroy or damage property, or disrupt services to critical infrastructure, or training on the use, storage, production, or assembly of any explosive, firearm or other weapon, including any weapon of mass destruction (as defined in section 2232a(c)(2) 22 So in original. Probably should be section “2332a(c)(2)”.);
(2)the term “serious bodily injury” has the meaning given that term in section 1365(h)(3);
(3)the term “critical infrastructure” means systems and assets vital to national defense, national security, economic security, public health or safety including both regional and national infrastructure. Critical infrastructure may be publicly or privately owned; examples of critical infrastructure include gas and oil production, storage, or delivery systems, water supply systems, telecommunications networks, electrical power generation or delivery systems, financing and banking systems, emergency services (including medical, police, fire, and rescue services), and transportation systems and services (including highways, mass transit, airlines, and airports); and
(4)the term “foreign terrorist organization” means an organization designated as a terrorist organization under section 219(a)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 101, 212, and 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, referred to in subsecs. (a), (b)(1), and (c)(4), are classified to section 1101, 1182, and 1189, respectively, of Title 8, Aliens and Nationality. section 140(d)(2) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989, referred to in subsec. (a), is classified to section 2656f(d)(2) of Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

18 U.S.C. § 2339D

Title 18Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73