Federal · Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure

18 U.S.C. § 956: Conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim, or injure persons or damage property in a foreign country

Felony

What this law says, in plain English

Federal law criminalizes conspiracy within the U.S. to commit murder, kidnapping, maiming, or destroy property in foreign countries. Conspirators face life imprisonment for murder/kidnapping conspiracies or up to 35 years for maiming conspiracies.

Read the full statutory text

Whoever, within the jurisdiction of the United States, conspires with one or more other persons, regardless of where such other person or persons are located, to commit at any place outside the United States an act that would constitute the offense of murder, kidnapping, or maiming if committed in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States shall, if any of the conspirators commits an act within the jurisdiction of the United States to effect any object of the conspiracy, be punished as provided in subsection (a)(2). imprisonment for any term of years or for life if the offense is conspiracy to murder or kidnap; and imprisonment for not more than 35 years if the offense is conspiracy to maim. Whoever, within the jurisdiction of the United States, conspires with one or more persons, regardless of where such other person or persons are located, to damage or destroy specific property situated within a foreign country and belonging to a foreign government or to any political subdivision thereof with which the United States is at peace, or any railroad, canal, bridge, airport, airfield, or other public utility, public conveyance, or public structure, or any religious, educational, or cultural property so situated, shall, if any of the conspirators commits an act within the jurisdiction of the United States to effect any object of the conspiracy, be imprisoned not more than 25 years.

Verify at the official source: Federal legislative text

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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.