republic-os/legal/us/code/title-18/chapter-111/section-2281a.md

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LegalText	18 U.S.C. § 2281a	Additional offenses against maritime fixed platforms	us	united_states_code	code_section	18	CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE	111	SHIPPING	2281a	18 U.S.C. § 2281a	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc18@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t18/s2281a	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-18/usc18.xml	cae9c77577965f2acdd4affd774ee3a9d98fbcdccd0ab9b19be500b8b7969643	1a1bbbbdb59e376ada4eb7ad1056fd68d396679ee7ab59f0561af15006122708	ca7e33cfa8e29cdcdb2a0f2192ec32a3ee621ce9bb7f3a483cafa6bd564b8771	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

18 U.S.C. § 2281a - Additional offenses against maritime fixed platforms

Text

(a) Offenses.— (1) In general.— A person who unlawfully and intentionally—

(A) when the purpose of the act, by its nature or context, is to intimidate a population, or to compel a government or an international organization to do or to abstain from doing any act—

(i) uses against or on a fixed platform or discharges from a fixed platform any explosive or radioactive material, biological, chemical, or nuclear weapon in a manner that causes or is likely to cause death or serious injury or damage; or

(ii) discharges from a fixed platform oil, liquefied natural gas, or another hazardous or noxious substance that is not covered by clause (i), in such quantity or concentration that causes or is likely to cause death or serious injury or damage;

(B) injures or kills any person in connection with the commission or the attempted commission of any of the offenses set forth in subparagraph (A); or

(C) attempts or conspires to do anything prohibited under subparagraph (A) or (B),

shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both; and if death results to any person from conduct prohibited by this paragraph, shall be imprisoned for any term of years or for life.

(2) Threat to safety.— A person who threatens, with apparent determination and will to carry the threat into execution, to do any act prohibited under paragraph (1)(A), shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.

(b) Jurisdiction.— There is jurisdiction over the activity prohibited in subsection (a) if—

(1) such activity is committed against or on board a fixed platform—

(A) that is located on the continental shelf of the United States;

(B) that is located on the continental shelf of another country, by a national of the United States or by a stateless person whose habitual residence is in the United States; or

(C) in an attempt to compel the United States to do or abstain from doing any act;

(2) during the commission of such activity against or on board a fixed platform located on a continental shelf, a national of the United States is seized, threatened, injured, or killed; or

(3) such activity is committed against or on board a fixed platform located outside the United States and beyond the continental shelf of the United States and the offender is later found in the United States.

(c) Exceptions.— This section does not apply to—

(1) the activities of armed forces during an armed conflict, as those terms are understood under the law of war, which are governed by that law; or

(2) activities undertaken by military forces of a state in the exercise of their official duties.

(d) Definitions.— In this section—

(1) “continental shelf” means the sea-bed and subsoil of the submarine areas that extend beyond a country’s territorial sea to the limits provided by customary international law as reflected in Article 76 of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea; and

(2) “fixed platform” means an artificial island, installation, or structure permanently attached to the sea-bed for the purpose of exploration or exploitation of resources or for other economic purposes.

(Added Pub. L. 114–23, title VIII, § 804(a), June 2, 2015, 129 Stat. 307.)

Notes

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Definitions For definitions of terms used in this section, see section 2280(d) of this title.