Title 21Food and DrugsRelease 119-73

§960a Foreign terrorist organizations, terrorist persons and groups

Title 21 › Chapter CHAPTER 13— - DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION AND CONTROL › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - IMPORT AND EXPORT › § 960a

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

If someone gives money or something valuable to a person or group they know is involved in terrorism, or tries or plans to do so, they face heavy federal punishment. They must go to prison for at least twice the minimum sentence that applies to the related federal drug offense and could get up to life in prison. They can also be fined under federal law, or both. After prison, they must serve at least 5 years of supervised release. To be guilty, the person must know the recipient has taken part in terrorism or terrorist activity. Federal courts can charge someone under this rule when the act breaks U.S. criminal law; it happens in or affects trade or travel between states or countries; the payment is tied to an attack that kills or seriously injures a U.S. national abroad or heavily damages property of a U.S. organization abroad; the act occurs partly or fully outside the U.S. and the offender is a U.S. national or a U.S. legal entity; or the offender is later found in the United States. The phrase "anything of pecuniary value" is defined in another federal law.

Full Legal Text

Title 21, §960a

Food and Drugs — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Whoever engages in conduct that would be punishable under section 841(a) 11 See References in Text note below. of this title if committed within the jurisdiction of the United States, or attempts or conspires to do so, knowing or intending to provide, directly or indirectly, anything of pecuniary value to any person or organization that has engaged or engages in terrorist activity (as defined in section 1182(a)(3)(B) of title 8) or terrorism (as defined in section 2656f(d)(2) of title 22), shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not less than twice the minimum punishment under section 841(b)(1),1 and not more than life, a fine in accordance with the provisions of title 18, or both. Notwithstanding section 3583 of title 18, any sentence imposed under this subsection shall include a term of supervised release of at least 5 years in addition to such term of imprisonment.
(b)There is jurisdiction over an offense under this section if—
(1)the prohibited drug activity or the terrorist offense is in violation of the criminal laws of the United States;
(2)the offense, the prohibited drug activity, or the terrorist offense occurs in or affects interstate or foreign commerce;
(3)an offender provides anything of pecuniary value for a terrorist offense that causes or is designed to cause death or serious bodily injury to a national of the United States while that national is outside the United States, or substantial damage to the property of a legal entity organized under the laws of the United States (including any of its States, districts, commonwealths, territories, or possessions) while that property is outside of the United States;
(4)the offense or the prohibited drug activity occurs in whole or in part outside of the United States (including on the high seas), and a perpetrator of the offense or the prohibited drug activity is a national of the United States or a legal entity organized under the laws of the United States (including any of its States, districts, commonwealths, territories, or possessions); or
(5)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.
(c)To violate subsection (a), a person must have knowledge that the person or organization has engaged or engages in terrorist activity (as defined in section 1182(a)(3)(B) of title 8) or terrorism (as defined in section 2656f(d)(2) of title 22).
(d)As used in this section, the term “anything of pecuniary value” has the meaning given the term in section 1958(b)(1) of title 18.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 841, referred to in the original in subsec. (a), probably should have been a reference to section 401 of Pub. L. 91–513, which is classified to section 841 of this title. Pub. L. 91–513 does not contain a section 841.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

21 U.S.C. § 960a

Title 21Food and Drugs

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73