§461 Enforcement by courts; employment of land or naval forces

Summary

District courts must hear complaints about captures that happen in U.S. waters or within a marine league of the shore. They also handle cases about a ship being armed or refitted, attempts to arm a ship, boosting a ship’s fighting force, starting a military expedition, captures of ships under U.S. protection, or refusing to obey a U.S. court order by someone in charge of a foreign warship or similar armed vessel. The President, or someone he authorizes, may use U.S. land or naval forces or the militia to take control of and hold those ships and any prizes. This can be done to enforce the bans and penalties in this part of the law and in sections 958 to 962 of title 18, to return prizes when a court orders it, and to stop such expeditions from being launched from U.S. territory against foreign places with which the United States is at peace.