This bill would authorize the President to issue letters of marque and reprisal—a constitutional power that allows the government to commission private armed forces to pursue targets outside U.S. territory. Specifically, it would allow the President to authorize private individuals and entities to seize persons and property belonging to members of criminal enterprises involved in cybercrimes, including scam centers, pig butchering schemes, ransomware attacks, and cryptocurrency theft. The bill applies to anyone the President determines is part of such an operation responsible for aggression against the United States, and it requires security bonds to ensure the private forces comply with terms of their authorization. While framed as addressing national and economic security threats from international scam operations and cybercriminals, the bill resurrects a 18th-century legal mechanism that has not been used in over a century and raises significant questions about oversight and the privatization of military action.
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