Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73not60

§2291 Destruction of Vessel or Maritime Facility

Title 18 › Part I— CRIMES › Chapter 111A— DESTRUCTION OF, OR INTERFERENCE WITH, VESSELS OR MARITIME FACILITIES › § 2291

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

Makes it a federal crime to intentionally damage, destroy, disable, or set fire to any ship or to put bombs, explosives, or other dangerous things on or near a ship or any maritime facility. It also bans using force to mess with the operation of locks, canals, navigation aids, or other port equipment if that could endanger a ship; attacking or incapacitating people on a ship in ways that could risk the ship; causing serious injury at places used for ship operations; sending false information that could reasonably be believed and that endangers a ship; and trying or planning to do any of these acts. It does not cover lawful work like normal repair or salvage, or the transport of hazardous materials that is allowed under chapter 51 of title 49. If the crime involved a ship carrying high-level radioactive waste or spent nuclear fuel, the offender can be fined, imprisoned for up to life, or both. If the act was meant to cause death and someone died, the offender can face the death penalty or life in prison. Knowingly making a threat to do any of these things, with a clear intent to carry it out, can lead to fines, up to 5 years in prison, or both, and the person must pay any costs caused by the threat.

Full Legal Text

Title 18, §2291

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Whoever knowingly—

(1)sets fire to, damages, destroys, disables, or wrecks any vessel;

(2)places or causes to be placed a destructive device, as defined in section 921(a)(4), destructive substance, as defined in section 31(a)(3), or an explosive, as defined in section 844(j) in, upon, or near, or otherwise makes or causes to be made unworkable or unusable or hazardous to work or use, any vessel, or any part or other materials used or intended to be used in connection with the operation of a vessel;

(3)sets fire to, damages, destroys, or disables or places a destructive device or substance in, upon, or near, any maritime facility, including any aid to navigation, lock, canal, or vessel traffic service facility or equipment;

(4)interferes by force or violence with the operation of any maritime facility, including any aid to navigation, lock, canal, or vessel traffic service facility or equipment, if such action is likely to endanger the safety of any vessel in navigation;

(5)sets fire to, damages, destroys, or disables or places a destructive device or substance in, upon, or near, any appliance, structure, property, machine, or apparatus, or any facility or other material used, or intended to be used, in connection with the operation, maintenance, loading, unloading, or storage of any vessel or any passenger or cargo carried or intended to be carried on any vessel;

(6)performs an act of violence against or incapacitates any individual on any vessel, if such act of violence or incapacitation is likely to endanger the safety of the vessel or those on board;

(7)performs an act of violence against a person that causes or is likely to cause serious bodily injury, as defined in section 1365(h)(3), in, upon, or near, any appliance, structure, property, machine, or apparatus, or any facility or other material used, or intended to be used, in connection with the operation, maintenance, loading, unloading, or storage of any vessel or any passenger or cargo carried or intended to be carried on any vessel;

(8)communicates information, knowing the information to be false and under circumstances in which such information may reasonably be believed, thereby endangering the safety of any vessel in navigation; or

(9)attempts or conspires to do anything prohibited under paragraphs (1) through (8),

(b)Subsection (a) shall not apply to any person that is engaging in otherwise lawful activity, such as normal repair and salvage activities, and the transportation of hazardous materials regulated and allowed to be transported under chapter 51 of title 49.

(c)Whoever is fined or imprisoned under subsection (a) as a result of an act involving a vessel that, at the time of the violation, carried high-level radioactive waste (as that term is defined in section 2(12) of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (42 U.S.C. 10101(12)) 11 So in original. There probably should be an additional closing parenthesis. or spent nuclear fuel (as that term is defined in section 2(23) of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (42 U.S.C. 10101(23)),1 shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for a term up to life, or both.

(d)Whoever is convicted of any crime prohibited by subsection (a) and intended to cause death by the prohibited conduct, if the conduct resulted in the death of any person, shall be subject also to the death penalty or to a term of imprisonment for a period up to life.

(e)Whoever knowingly and intentionally imparts or conveys any threat to do an act which would violate this chapter, with an apparent determination and will to carry the threat into execution, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both, and is liable for all costs incurred as a result of such threat.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

18 U.S.C. § 2291

Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60