§2283 Transportation of Explosive, Biological, Chemical, or Radioactive or Nuclear Materials

Summary

It is a crime to knowingly carry dangerous explosives, biological, chemical, radioactive, or nuclear items on a ship in U.S. waters, on the high seas, or on a U.S.-flagged ship when the person knows the item will be used to commit one of the offenses listed in section 2332b(g)(5)(B). A person guilty of this can be fined and sent to prison for any number of years or for life. If the act causes someone’s death, the person can be punished by death. Definitions (short): biological agent — a biological agent, toxin, or vector (see sec. 178); by-product material — defined in Atomic Energy Act sec. 11(e); chemical weapon — defined in sec. 229F(1); explosive/incendiary device — defined in sec. 232(5) and includes explosive materials in secs. 841(c) and 844(j); nuclear material — defined in sec. 831(f)(1); radioactive material — certain source and special nuclear materials (excluding natural or depleted uranium), nuclear by-products, material made radioactive in accelerators, and refined radium isotopes; source material and special nuclear material — defined in Atomic Energy Act secs. 11(z) and 11(aa).