US Code

Public Law 119-87 (04/30/2026)

18 U.S.C. § 1952

Interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises

(a)
Whoever travels in interstate or foreign commerce or uses the mail or any facility in interstate or foreign commerce, with intent to—
(1)
distribute the proceeds of any unlawful activity; or
(2)
commit any crime of violence to further any unlawful activity; or
(3)
otherwise promote, manage, establish, carry on, or facilitate the promotion, management, establishment, or carrying on, of any unlawful activity,
and thereafter performs or attempts to perform—
(A)
an act described in paragraph (1) or (3) shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both; or
(B)
an act described in paragraph (2) shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for not more than 20 years, or both, and if death results shall be imprisoned for any term of years or for life.
(b)
As used in this section (i) “unlawful activity” means (1) any business enterprise involving gambling, liquor on which the Federal excise tax has not been paid, narcotics or controlled substances (as defined in section 102(6) of the Controlled Substances Act), or prostitution offenses in violation of the laws of the State in which they are committed or of the United States, (2) extortion, bribery, or arson in violation of the laws of the State in which committed or of the United States, or (3) any act which is indictable under subchapter II of chapter 53 of title 31, United States Code, or under section 1956 or 1957 of this title and (ii) the term “State” includes a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, and any commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States.
(c)
Investigations of violations under this section involving liquor shall be conducted under the supervision of the Attorney General.
(d)
If the offense under this section involves an act described in paragraph (1) or (3) of subsection (a) and also involves a pre-retail medical product (as defined in section 670), the punishment for the offense shall be the same as the punishment for an offense under section 670 unless the punishment under subsection (a) is greater.
(e)
(1)
This section shall not apply to a savings promotion raffle conducted by an insured depository institution or an insured credit union.
(2)
In this subsection—
(A)
12 U.S.C. 1752 the term “insured credit union” shall have the meaning given the term in section 101 of the Federal Credit Union Act ();
(B)
12 U.S.C. 1813 the term “insured depository institution” shall have the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (); and
(C)
12 U.S.C. 5481 the term “savings promotion raffle” means a contest in which the sole consideration required for a chance of winning designated prizes is obtained by the deposit of a specified amount of money in a savings account or other savings program, where each ticket or entry has an equal chance of being drawn, such contest being subject to regulations that may from time to time be promulgated by the appropriate prudential regulator (as defined in section 1002 of the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 ()).

Pub. L. 87–228, § 1(a)75 Stat. 498 Pub. L. 89–6879 Stat. 212 Pub. L. 91–513, title II, § 701(i)(2)84 Stat. 1282 Pub. L. 99–570, title I, § 1365(a)100 Stat. 3207–35 Pub. L. 101–647, title XII, § 1205(i)104 Stat. 4831 Pub. L. 103–322, title XIV, § 140007(a)108 Stat. 2033 Pub. L. 107–296, title XI, § 1112(h)116 Stat. 2277 Pub. L. 112–186, § 4(b)(1)126 Stat. 1429 Pub. L. 113–251, § 5(1)128 Stat. 2890 (Added , , ; amended , , ; , , ; , , ; , title XVI, § 1604, , , 4843; , title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(L), , , 2147; , , ; , , ; , , .)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 802(6) of Title 21Section 102(6) of the Controlled Substances Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(i)(1), is classified to , Food and Drugs.

Amendments

Pub. L. 113–2512014—Subsec. (e). added subsec. (e).

Pub. L. 112–1862012—Subsec. (d). added subsec. (d).

Pub. L. 107–2962002—Subsec. (c). substituted “Attorney General” for “Secretary of the Treasury”.

Pub. L. 103–322, § 330016(1)(L)Pub. L. 103–322, § 140007(a)1994—, which directed the amendment of this section by substituting “under this title” for “not more than $10,000”, could not be executed because the phrase “not more than $10,000” did not appear in text subsequent to amendment of subsec. (a) by . See below.

Pub. L. 103–322, § 140007(a)Subsec. (a). , substituted “and thereafter performs or attempts to perform—” and subpars. (A) and (B) for former concluding provisions which read as follows: “and thereafter performs or attempts to perform any of the acts specified in subparagraphs (1), (2), and (3), shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than five years, or both.”

Pub. L. 101–647, § 16041990—Subsec. (a). , inserted “the mail or” after “uses” and struck out “including the mail,” before “with intent” in introductory provisions.

Pub. L. 101–647, § 1205(i)Subsec. (b). , inserted “(i)” after “As used in this section” and added cl. (ii).

Pub. L. 99–5701986—Subsec. (b)(3). added cl. (3).

Pub. L. 91–513, § 701(i)(2)(A)1970—Subsec. (b)(1). , inserted “or controlled substances (as defined in section 102(6) of the Controlled Substances Act)”.

Pub. L. 91–513, § 701(i)(2)(B)Subsec. (c). , struck out reference to investigations involving narcotics.

Pub. L. 89–681965—Subsec. (b)(2). made section applicable to travel in aid of arson.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2002 Amendment

Pub. L. 107–296section 4 of Pub. L. 107–296section 101 of Title 6Amendment by effective 60 days after , see , set out as an Effective Date note under , Domestic Security.

Effective Date of 1970 Amendment

Pub. L. 91–513section 704 of Pub. L. 91–513section 801 of Title 21Amendment by effective on first day of seventh calendar month that begins after , see , set out as an Effective Date note under , Food and Drugs.

Short Title

This section is popularly known as the “Travel Act”.

Savings Provision

Pub. L. 91–513section 702 of Pub. L. 91–513section 321 of Title 21Amendment by not to affect or abate any prosecutions for any violation of law or any civil seizures or forfeitures and injunctive proceedings commenced prior to the effective date of such amendment, and all administrative proceedings pending before the former Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs on , were to be continued and brought to final determination in accord with laws and regulations in effect prior to , see , set out as a Savings Provision note under , Food and Drugs.