18 U.S.C. § 2275
Section 2275 · Firing or tampering with vessels
Amended 2 times on record
Applied in 9 court decisions — leading case United States v. Tanner (1972)
Most recently applied in United States v. Callan (April 2004)
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 sets fire to any vessel of foreign registry, or any vessel of American registry entitled to engage in commerce with foreign nations, or to any vessel of the United States, or to the cargo of the same, or tampers with the motive power of instrumentalities of navigation of such vessel, or places bombs or explosives in or upon such vessel, or does any other act to or upon such vessel while within the jurisdiction of the United States, or, if such vessel is of American registry, while she is on the high sea, with intent to injure or endanger the safety of the vessel or of her cargo, or of persons on board, whether the injury or danger is so intended to take place within the jurisdiction of the United States, or after the vessel shall have departed therefrom and whoever attempts to do so shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §502 (June 15, 1917, ch. 30, title III, §1, 40 Stat. 221).
Words “as defined in section 501 of this title,” were omitted in view of section 9 of this title, defining vessel of the United States.
Last sentence of said section 502, defining “United States”, was incorporated in section 5 of this title.
Provision prohibiting conspiracy was deleted as adequately covered by the general conspiracy statute, section 371 of this title.
Minor changes were made in phraseology.
Amendments
1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $10,000”.
Canal Zone
Applicability of section to Canal Zone, see section 14 of this title.
Cross References
Destruction of property moving in commerce, see section 80501 of Title 49, Transportation.
Jurisdiction of offenses, see section 3241 of this title.