Collapse to view only § 2233. Rescue of seized property
- § 2231. Assault or resistance
- § 2232. Destruction or removal of property to prevent seizure
- § 2233. Rescue of seized property
- § 2234. Authority exceeded in executing warrant
- § 2235. Search warrant procured maliciously
- § 2236. Searches without warrant
- § 2237. Criminal sanctions for failure to heave to, obstruction of boarding, or providing false information
§ 2231. Assault or resistance
(a) Whoever forcibly assaults, resists, opposes, prevents, impedes, intimidates, or interferes with any person authorized to serve or execute search warrants or to make searches and seizures while engaged in the performance of his duties with regard thereto or on account of the performance of such duties, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both; and—
(b) Whoever, in committing any act in violation of this section, uses any deadly or dangerous weapon, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 802; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(K), (L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)
§ 2232. Destruction or removal of property to prevent seizure
(a)Destruction or Removal of Property To Prevent Seizure.—Whoever, before, during, or after any search for or seizure of property by any person authorized to make such search or seizure, knowingly destroys, damages, wastes, disposes of, transfers, or otherwise takes any action, or knowingly attempts to destroy, damage, waste, dispose of, transfer, or otherwise take any action, for the purpose of preventing or impairing the Government’s lawful authority to take such property into its custody or control or to continue holding such property under its lawful custody and control, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
(b)Impairment of In Rem Jurisdiction.—Whoever, knowing that property is subject to the in rem jurisdiction of a United States court for purposes of civil forfeiture under Federal law, knowingly and without authority from that court, destroys, damages, wastes, disposes of, transfers, or otherwise takes any action, or knowingly attempts to destroy, damage, waste, dispose of, transfer, or otherwise take any action, for the purpose of impairing or defeating the court’s continuing in rem jurisdiction over the property, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
(c)Notice of Search or Execution of Seizure Warrant or Warrant of Arrest In Rem.—Whoever, having knowledge that any person authorized to make searches and seizures, or to execute a seizure warrant or warrant of arrest in rem, in order to prevent the authorized seizing or securing of any person or property, gives notice or attempts to give notice in advance of the search, seizure, or execution of a seizure warrant or warrant of arrest in rem, to any person shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
(d)Notice of Certain Electronic Surveillance.—Whoever, having knowledge that a Federal investigative or law enforcement officer has been authorized or has applied for authorization under chapter 119 to intercept a wire, oral, or electronic communication, in order to obstruct, impede, or prevent such interception, gives notice or attempts to give notice of the possible interception to any person shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
(e)Foreign Intelligence Surveillance.—Whoever, having knowledge that a Federal officer has been authorized or has applied for authorization to conduct electronic surveillance under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (50 U.S.C. 1801, et seq.), in order to obstruct, impede, or prevent such activity, gives notice or attempts to give notice of the possible activity to any person shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 802; Pub. L. 98–473, title II, § 1103, Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 2143; Pub. L. 99–508, title I, § 109, Oct. 21, 1986, 100 Stat. 1858; Pub. L. 99–646, § 33, Nov. 10, 1986, 100 Stat. 3598; Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, § 7066, Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4404; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147; Pub. L. 106–185, § 12, Apr. 25, 2000, 114 Stat. 218.)
§ 2233. Rescue of seized property
Whoever forcibly rescues, dispossesses, or attempts to rescue or dispossess any property, articles, or objects after the same shall have been taken, detained, or seized by any officer or other person under the authority of any revenue law of the United States, or by any person authorized to make searches and seizures, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 802; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(I), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)
§ 2234. Authority exceeded in executing warrant
Whoever, in executing a search warrant, willfully exceeds his authority or exercises it with unnecessary severity, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 803; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 601(a)(8), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3498; Pub. L. 107–273, div. B, title III, § 3002(a)(3), Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1805.)
§ 2235. Search warrant procured maliciously
Whoever maliciously and without probable cause procures a search warrant to be issued and executed, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 803; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 601(a)(8), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3498; Pub. L. 107–273, div. B, title III, § 3002(a)(3), Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1805.)
§ 2236. Searches without warrant
Whoever, being an officer, agent, or employee of the United States or any department or agency thereof, engaged in the enforcement of any law of the United States, searches any private dwelling used and occupied as such dwelling without a warrant directing such search, or maliciously and without reasonable cause searches any other building or property without a search warrant, shall be fined under this title for a first offense; and, for a subsequent offense, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
This section shall not apply to any person—
(a) serving a warrant of arrest; or
(b) arresting or attempting to arrest a person committing or attempting to commit an offense in his presence, or who has committed or is suspected on reasonable grounds of having committed a felony; or
(c) making a search at the request or invitation or with the consent of the occupant of the premises.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 803; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 601(a)(8), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3498; Pub. L. 107–273, div. B, title IV, § 4002(d)(1)(C)(iii), Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1809.)
§ 2237. Criminal sanctions for failure to heave to, obstruction of boarding, or providing false information
(a)
(1) It shall be unlawful for the master, operator, or person in charge of a vessel of the United States, or a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, to knowingly fail to obey an order by an authorized Federal law enforcement officer to heave to that vessel.
(2) It shall be unlawful for any person on board a vessel of the United States, or a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, to—
(A) forcibly resist, oppose, prevent, impede, intimidate, or interfere with a boarding or other law enforcement action authorized by any Federal law or to resist a lawful arrest; or
(B) provide materially false information to a Federal law enforcement officer during a boarding of a vessel regarding the vessel’s destination, origin, ownership, registration, nationality, cargo, or crew.
(b)
(1) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, whoever knowingly violates subsection (a) shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both.
(2)
(A) If the offense is one under paragraph (1) or (2)(A) of subsection (a) and has an aggravating factor set forth in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, the offender shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for any term of years or life, or both.
(B) The aggravating factor referred to in subparagraph (A) is that the offense—
(i) results in death; or
(ii) involves—(I) an attempt to kill;(II) kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap; or(III) an offense under section 2241.
(3) If the offense is one under paragraph (1) or (2)(A) of subsection (a) and results in serious bodily injury (as defined in section 1365), the offender shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than 15 years, or both.
(4) If the offense is one under paragraph (1) or (2)(A) of subsection (a), involves knowing transportation under inhumane conditions, and is committed in the course of a violation of section 274 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, or chapter 77 or section 113 (other than under subsection (a)(4) or (a)(5) of such section) or 117 of this title, the offender shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than 15 years, or both.
(c) This section does not limit the authority of a customs officer under section 581 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1581), or any other provision of law enforced or administered by the Secretary of the Treasury or the Secretary of Homeland Security, or the authority of any Federal law enforcement officer under any law of the United States, to order a vessel to stop or heave to.
(d) A foreign nation may consent or waive objection to the enforcement of United States law by the United States under this section by radio, telephone, or similar oral or electronic means. Consent or waiver may be proven by certification of the Secretary of State or the designee of the Secretary of State.
(e) In this section—
(1) the term “Federal law enforcement officer” has the meaning given the term in section 115(c);
(2) the term “heave to” means to cause a vessel to slow, come to a stop, or adjust its course or speed to account for the weather conditions and sea state to facilitate a law enforcement boarding;
(3) the term “vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States” has the meaning given the term in section 70502 of title 46;
(4) the term “vessel of the United States” has the meaning given the term in section 70502 of title 46; and
(5) the term “transportation under inhumane conditions” means—
(A) transportation—
(i) of one or more persons in an engine compartment, storage compartment, or other confined space;
(ii) at an excessive speed; or
(iii) of a number of persons in excess of the rated capacity of the vessel; or
(B) intentional grounding of a vessel in which persons are being transported.
(Added Pub. L. 109–177, title III, § 303(a), Mar. 9, 2006, 120 Stat. 233; amended Pub. L. 111–281, title IX, § 917, Oct. 15, 2010, 124 Stat. 3021.)