Breaking and entering vessel
Official text prohibited actmental stateif conditionpenaltylegal term
Whoever, upon the high seas or on any other waters within the admiralty and maritime jurisdiction of the United States, and out of the jurisdiction of any particular State, breaks or enters any vessel with intent to commit any , or cuts, spoils, or destroys any cordage, cable, buoys, buoy rope, head fast, or other fast, fixed to the anchor or moorings belonging to any vessel, shall be or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
History: (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 804 (PDF, 39 MB); Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §330016(1)(H), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147 (PDF, 52 MB).)
Simplified explanation
It is a federal crime to break into or enter a ship intending to commit a felony (a serious crime). It is also a crime to maliciously cut or destroy ropes, cables, or buoys attached to a ship's anchor or moorings. This applies on the high seas or other U.S. maritime waters outside any State's jurisdiction.