US Code

Public Law 119-88 (05/04/2026)

18 U.S.C. § 2155

Destruction of national-defense materials, national-defense premises, or national-defense utilities

(a)
Whoever, with intent to injure, interfere with, or obstruct the national defense of the United States, willfully injures, destroys, contaminates or infects, or attempts to so injure, destroy, contaminate or infect any national-defense material, national-defense premises, or national-defense utilities, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both, and, if death results to any person, shall be imprisoned for any term of years or for life.
(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 Sept. 3, 1954, ch. 1261 68 Stat. 1218 Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(L)108 Stat. 2147 Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 601(f)(12)110 Stat. 3500 Pub. L. 107–56, title VIII, § 810(e)115 Stat. 380 (, ; , title I, § 104, ; , , ; , , ; , , .)

Historical and Revision Notes

section 105 of title 50Apr. 20, 1918, ch. 59, § 5 Nov. 30, 1940, ch. 926 54 Stat. 1221 Based on , U.S.C., 1940 ed., War and National Defense (, as added , ).

Words “upon conviction thereof” were omitted as unnecessary, since punishment cannot be imposed until a conviction is secured.

Minor changes were made in phraseology.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Pub. L. 107–562001—Subsec. (a). substituted “20 years” for “ten years” and inserted “, and, if death results to any person, shall be imprisoned for any term of years or for life” before period at end.

Pub. L. 104–2941996— substituted “, or” for “or” in section catchline.

Pub. L. 103–3221994—Subsec. (a). substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $10,000”.

1954—Act , inserted conspiracy provisions.