18 U.S.C. § 1653
Section 1653 · Aliens as pirates
Amended 1 time on record
Applied in 5 court decisions — leading case United States v. Denson (1979)
Most recently applied in 3 F. Supp. 3d 515 - United States v. Said (February 2014)
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
Whoever, being a citizen or subject of any foreign state, is found and taken on the sea making war upon the United States, or cruising against the vessels and property thereof, or of the citizens of the same, contrary to the provisions of any treaty existing between the United States and the state of which the offender is a citizen or subject, when by such treaty such acts are declared to be piracy, is a pirate, and shall be imprisoned for life.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §496 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, §305, 35 Stat. 1147.)
Minor change was made in phraseology.