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18 U.S.C. § 2290

U.S. CodeFederalPositive Law
Jurisdiction and scope
About This Law
/us/usc/t18/s2290
Title
18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Chapter
PTI/CH111A
Release
119-84
Release Date
2026-04-17

Section Text

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(a) Jurisdiction.—There is jurisdiction, including extraterritorial jurisdiction, over an offense under this chapter if the prohibited activity takes place—(1) within the United States and within waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States; or (2) outside United States and—(A) an offender or a victim is a national of the United States (as that term is defined under section 101(a)(22) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(22)); 11 So in original. There probably should be an additional closing parenthesis. (B) the activity involves a vessel in which a national of the United States was on board; or (C) the activity involves a vessel of the United States (as that term is defined under section 2 22 See References in Text note below. of the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act (46 U.S.C. App. 1903).1 (b) Scope.—Nothing in this chapter shall apply to otherwise lawful activities carried out by or at the direction of the United States Government. (Added Pub. L. 109–177, title III, § 306(a), Mar. 9, 2006, 120 Stat. 237.) Editorial Notes References in TextSection 2 of the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(2)(C), probably means section 3 of the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act, Pub. L. 96–350, which was classified to section 1903 of former Title 46, Appendix, Shipping, and was repealed and restated in sections 70502 to 70506 of Title 46, Shipping, by Pub. L. 109–304, §§ 10(2), 19, Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1683, 1710. Section 70502(b) of Title 46 defines “vessel of the United States”.

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