Title 18, Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-102
§1651 Piracy Under Law of Nations
Title 18 › PART I — CRIMES › CHAPTER 81 — PIRACY AND PRIVATEERING › § 1651
Summary
If someone commits piracy on the high seas, as international law defines it, and is later brought to or found in the United States, they must be put in prison for life.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §1651
Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Whoever, on the high seas, commits the crime of piracy as defined by the law of nations, and is afterwards brought into or found in the United States, shall be imprisoned for life.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 481 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 290, 35 Stat. 1145).
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 1651
Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102