§ 878. — Threats and extortion against foreign officials, official guests, or internationally protected persons.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 18USC878]
TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I--CRIMES
CHAPTER 41--EXTORTION AND THREATS
Sec. 878. Threats and extortion against foreign officials,
official guests, or internationally protected persons
(a) Whoever knowingly and willfully threatens to violate section
112, 1116, or 1201 shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not
more than five years, or both, except that imprisonment for a threatened
assault shall not exceed three years.
(b) Whoever in connection with any violation of subsection (a) or
actual violation of section 112, 1116, or 1201 makes any extortionate
demand shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than
twenty years, or both.
(c) For the purpose of this section ``foreign official'',
``internationally protected person'', ``national of the United States'',
and ``official guest'' shall have the same meanings as those provided in
section 1116(a) of this title.
(d) If the victim of an offense under subsection (a) is an
internationally protected person outside the United States, the United
States may exercise jurisdiction over the offense if (1) the victim is a
representative, officer, employee, or agent of the United States, (2) an
offender is a national of the United States, or (3) an offender is
afterwards found in the United States. As used in this subsection, the
United States includes all areas under the jurisdiction of the United
States including any of the places within the provisions of sections 5
and 7 of this title and section 46501(2) of title 49.
(Added Pub. L. 94-467, Sec. 8, Oct. 8, 1976, 90 Stat. 2000; amended Pub.
L. 95-163, Sec. 17(b)(1), Nov. 9, 1977, 91 Stat. 1286; Pub. L. 95-504,
Sec. 2(b), Oct. 24, 1978, 92 Stat. 1705; Pub. L. 103-272, Sec. 5(e)(2),
July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1373; Pub. L. 103-322, title XXXIII,
Sec. 330016(1)(K), (N), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147, 2148; Pub. L.
104-132, title VII, Secs. 705(a)(4), 721(e), Apr. 24, 1996, 110 Stat.
1295, 1299.)
Amendments
1996--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104-132, Sec. 705(a)(4), struck out ``by
killing, kidnapping, or assaulting a foreign official, official guest,
or internationally protected person'' before ``shall be fined''.
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 104-132, Sec. 721(e)(1), inserted `` `national
of the United States','' before ``and `official guest' ''.
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 104-132, Sec. 721(e)(2), inserted first
sentence and struck out former first sentence which read as follows:
``If the victim of an offense under subsection (a) is an internationally
protected person, the United States may exercise jurisdiction over the
offense if the alleged offender is present within the United States,
irrespective of the place where the offense was committed or the
nationality of the victim or the alleged offender.''
1994--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103-322, Sec. 330016(1)(K), substituted
``fined under this title'' for ``fined not more than $5,000''.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103-322, Sec. 330016(1)(N), substituted ``fined
under this title'' for ``fined not more than $20,000''.
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 103-272 substituted ``section 46501(2) of title
49'' for ``section 101(38) of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as
amended (49 U.S.C. 1301(38))''.
1978--Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 95-504 substituted reference to section
101(38) of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 for reference to section
101(35) of such Act.
1977--Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 95-163 substituted reference to section
101(35) of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 for reference to section
101(34) of such Act.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in section 11 of this title.
