Federal · Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure

18 U.S.C. § 3183: Fugitives from State, Territory, or Possession into extraterritorial jurisdiction of United States

Civil

What this law says, in plain English

This statute establishes the procedure for extraditing U.S. citizens from countries where the U.S. has extraterritorial jurisdiction back to U.S. states or territories when demanded as fugitives from justice.

Read the full statutory text
Whenever the executive authority of any State, Territory, District, or possession of the United States demands any American citizen or national as a fugitive from justice who has fled to a country in which the United States exercises extraterritorial jurisdiction, and produces a copy of an indictment found or an affidavit made before a magistrate of the demanding jurisdiction, charging the fugitive so demanded with having committed treason, felony, or other offense, certified as authentic by the Governor or chief magistrate of such demanding jurisdiction, or other person authorized to act, the officer or representative of the United States vested with judicial authority to whom the demand has been made shall cause such fugitive to be arrested and secured, and notify the executive authorities making such demand, or the agent of such authority appointed to receive the fugitive, and shall cause the fugitive to be delivered to such agent when he shall appear. If no such agent shall appear within three months from the time of the arrest, the prisoner may be discharged. The agent who receives the fugitive into his custody shall be empowered to transport him to the jurisdiction from which he has fled.

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.