§ 2153. — Destruction of war material, war premises or war utilities.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 18USC2153]
TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I--CRIMES
CHAPTER 105--SABOTAGE
Sec. 2153. Destruction of war material, war premises, or war
utilities
(a) Whoever, when the United States is at war, or in times of
national emergency as declared by the President or by the Congress, with
intent to injure, interfere with, or obstruct the United States or any
associate nation in preparing for or carrying on the war or defense
activities, or, with reason to believe that his act may injure,
interfere with, or obstruct the United States or any associate nation in
preparing for or carrying on the war or defense activities, willfully
injures, destroys, contaminates or infects, or attempts to so injure,
destroy, contaminate or infect any war material, war premises, or war
utilities, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than
thirty years, or both.
(b) If two or more persons conspire to violate this section, and one
or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the
conspiracy, each of the parties to such conspiracy shall be punished as
provided in subsection (a) of this section.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 799; June 30, 1953, ch. 175, Sec. 2,
67 Stat. 133; Sept. 3, 1954, ch. 1261, title I, Sec. 102, 68 Stat. 1217;
Pub. L. 103-322, title XXXIII, Sec. 330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108
Stat. 2147.)
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on section 102 of title 50, U.S.C., 1940 ed., War and National
Defense (Apr. 20, 1918, ch. 59, Sec. 2, 40 Stat. 534).
``As herein defined'' was deleted as surplusage.
The conspiracy provisions are new. Their addition to the section was
strongly urged by the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice,
considering the gravity of the substantive offense as evidenced by the
prescribed punishment therefor. The punishment provisions of the general
conspiracy statute, section 371 of this title, are inadequate.
Words ``upon conviction thereof'' were omitted as unnecessary since
punishment cannot be imposed until a conviction is secured.
Minor changes were made in phraseology.
Amendments
1994--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103-322 substituted ``fined under this
title'' for ``fined not more than $10,000''.
1954--Act Sept. 3, 1954, made section applicable in time of national
emergency as well as war, and recognized the possibility of
bacteriological warfare by making ``contamination'' a crime.
1953--Subsec. (a). Act June 30, 1953, inserted ``or defense
activities'' after ``carrying on the war''.
Repeals
Section 7 of act June 30, 1953, ch. 175, 67 Stat. 134, repealed
Joint Res. July 3, 1952, ch. 570, Sec. 1(a)(29), 66 Stat. 333; Joint
Res. Mar. 31, 1953, ch. 13, Sec. 1, 67 Stat. 18, formerly cited as
credits to this section and also formerly set out as a note under this
section.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in title 8 section 1101.
