Violence against aids to maritime navigation
Official text prohibited actmental stateif conditionpenaltylegal term
Whoever intentionally destroys, seriously damages, alters, moves, or tampers with any aid to maritime navigation maintained by the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation under the authority of section 4 of the Act of May 13, 1954 (33 U.S.C. 984), by the Coast Guard pursuant to section 81 [1] of title 14, United States Code, or lawfully maintained under authority granted by the Coast Guard pursuant to section 83 of title 14, United States Code, if such act endangers or is likely to endanger the safe navigation of a ship, shall be or imprisoned for not more than 20 years, or both.
History: (Added Pub. L. 109–177, title III, §304(b)(1), Mar. 9, 2006, 120 Stat. 235; Pub. L. 116–260, div. AA, title V, §512(c)(2), Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2756.)
1 See References in Text note below.
Simplified explanation
It is a federal crime to intentionally destroy, seriously damage, change, move, or tamper with official aids to ship navigation, such as buoys and markers maintained by the Coast Guard or the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.