Destruction of national-defense materials, national-defense premises, or national-defense utilities
Official text prohibited actmental stateif conditionpenaltylegal term
(a) Whoever, with intent to injure, interfere with, or obstruct the national defense of the United States, injures, destroys, contaminates or infects, or to so injure, destroy, contaminate or infect any national-defense material, national-defense premises, or national-defense utilities, shall be 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 , each of the parties to such shall be punished as provided in subsection (a) of this section.
History: (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 799 (PDF, 39 MB); Sept. 3, 1954, ch. 1261, title I, §104, 68 Stat. 1218; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147 (PDF, 52 MB); Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, §601(f)(12), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3500; Pub. L. 107–56, title VIII, §810(e), Oct. 26, 2001, 115 Stat. 380.)
Simplified explanation
It is a federal crime to willfully damage, destroy, or contaminate national-defense materials, facilities, or utilities, or to try to, with intent to harm U.S. national defense. This applies at any time, not just in war.