FEDERAL · 18 U.S.C. · Chapter 45
Enlistment in foreign service
18 U.S.C. § 959
Title18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Chapter45 — FOREIGN RELATIONS
This text of 18 U.S.C. § 959 (Enlistment in foreign service) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.
Bluebook
18 U.S.C. § 959.
Text
(a)Whoever, within the United States, enlists or enters himself, or hires or retains another to enlist or enter himself, or to go beyond the jurisdiction of the United States with intent to be enlisted or entered in the service of any foreign prince, state, colony, district, or people as a soldier or as a marine or seaman on board any vessel of war, letter of marque, or privateer, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.
(b)This section shall not apply to citizens or subjects of any country engaged in war with a country with which the United States is at war, unless such citizen or subject of such foreign country shall hire or solicit a citizen of the United States to enlist or go beyond the jurisdiction of the United States with intent to enlist
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Source Credit
History
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 745; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §330016(1)(H), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)
Editorial Notes
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§22, 30 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, §§10, 18, 35 Stat. 1089, 1091; May 7, 1917, ch. 11, 40 Stat. 39).
Section consolidates said sections of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed. Last sentence of section 30 of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., relating to piracy and treason, was omitted as unnecessary.
Words "within the United States" were substituted for "within the jurisdiction" etc., in view of the definition of United States in section 5 of this title.
References in subsection (c) to sections 960 and 961 of this title are to the only other sections to which the subsection can apply.
Mandatory punishment provision was rephrased in the alternative.
Minor changes were made in phraseology.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–322 substituted "fined under this title" for "fined not more than $1,000".
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§22, 30 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, §§10, 18, 35 Stat. 1089, 1091; May 7, 1917, ch. 11, 40 Stat. 39).
Section consolidates said sections of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed. Last sentence of section 30 of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., relating to piracy and treason, was omitted as unnecessary.
Words "within the United States" were substituted for "within the jurisdiction" etc., in view of the definition of United States in section 5 of this title.
References in subsection (c) to sections 960 and 961 of this title are to the only other sections to which the subsection can apply.
Mandatory punishment provision was rephrased in the alternative.
Minor changes were made in phraseology.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–322 substituted "fined under this title" for "fined not more than $1,000".
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Bluebook (online)
18 U.S.C. § 959, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/usc/18/959.