18 USC § 2290 - Jurisdiction and scope

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t18/s2290"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "18 USC § 2290 - Jurisdiction and scope"
title_number: 18
title_name: "CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE"
section_number: "2290"
section_name: "Jurisdiction and scope"
chapter_number: 111
chapter_name: "DESTRUCTION OF, OR INTERFERENCE WITH, VESSELS OR MARITIME FACILITIES"
part_number: "I"
part_name: "CRIMES"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-21"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 109–177, title III, § 306(a), Mar. 9, 2006, 120 Stat. 237.)"
---


# § 2290. Jurisdiction and scope

**(a)** **Jurisdiction.—** There is jurisdiction, including extraterritorial jurisdiction, over an offense under this chapter if the prohibited activity takes place—

**(1)** within the United States and within waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States; or

**(2)** outside United States and—

**1** an offender or a victim is a national of the United States (as that term is defined under section 101(a)(22) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(22)); [^1]

So in original. There probably should be an additional closing parenthesis.

**(B)** the activity involves a vessel in which a national of the United States was on board; or

**2** the activity involves a vessel of the United States (as that term is defined under section 2 [^2] of the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act (46 U.S.C. App. 1903).<sup>1</sup>

See References in Text note below.

**(b)** **Scope.—** Nothing in this chapter shall apply to otherwise lawful activities carried out by or at the direction of the United States Government.

---

**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 109–177, title III, § 306(a), Mar. 9, 2006, 120 Stat. 237.)

## Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Section 2 of the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(2)(C), probably means section 3 of the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act, , which was classified to section 1903 of former Title 46, Appendix, Shipping, and was repealed and restated in sections 70502 to 70506 of Title 46, Shipping, by , §§ 10(2), 19, , , 1710.  defines “vessel of the United States”.