Title 22Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-73

§464 Detention by collectors of customs

Title 22 › Chapter CHAPTER 9— - FOREIGN WARS, WAR MATERIALS, AND NEUTRALITY › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - PREVENTION OF OFFENSES AGAINST NEUTRALITY › § 464

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Customs officers must detain any ship built for war that is leaving the U.S. if it mainly carries weapons and the crew size or other signs suggest the owners intend to use it to attack people/property of foreign states at peace with the U.S. The ship stays held until the President decides or the owner posts the bond required by section 463.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §464

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The several collectors of the customs shall detain any vessel manifestly built for warlike purposes, and about to depart the United States, or any place subject to the jurisdiction thereof, the cargo of which principally consists of arms and munitions of war, when the number of men shipped on board, or other circumstances, render it probable that such vessel is intended to be employed by the owners to cruise or commit hostilities upon the subjects, citizens, or property of any foreign prince or state, or of any colony, district, or people with whom the United States are at peace, until the decision of the President is had thereon, or until the owner gives such bond and security as is required of the owners of armed vessels by section 463 of this title.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was formerly classified to section 29 of title 18 prior to the general revision and enactment of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure, by act June 25, 1948, ch. 645, § 1, 62 Stat. 683.

Prior Provisions

Section was derived from R.S. § 5290 (act Apr. 20, 1818, ch. 88, § 11, 3 Stat. 450), which was repealed by act Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 341, 35 Stat. 1153.

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions

Offices of collector of customs, comptroller of customs, surveyor of customs, and appraiser of merchandise of Bureau of Customs of Department of the Treasury to which appointments were required to be made by President with advice and consent of Senate ordered abolished, with such offices to be terminated not later than Dec. 31, 1966, by Reorg. Plan No. 1, of 1965 eff.
May 25, 1965, 30 F.R. 7035, 79 Stat. 1317, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. Functions of Offices eliminated were already vested in Secretary of the Treasury by Reorg. Plan No. 26 of 1950, eff.
July 31, 1950, 15 F.R. 4935, 64 Stat. 1280, set out in the Appendix to Title 5.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 464

Title 22Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73