(a) Whoever, with intent to injure, interfere with, or obstruct the national defense of the United States, willfully injures, destroys, contaminates or infects, or attempts to so injure, destroy, contaminate or infect any national-defense material, national-defense premises, or national-defense utilities, shall be fined under this title 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 conspiracy, each of the parties to such conspiracy shall be punished as provided in subsection (a) of this section.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 799; 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; 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.)
Based on section 105 of title 50, U.S.C., 1940 ed., War and National Defense (Apr. 20, 1918, ch. 59, §5, as added Nov. 30, 1940, ch. 926, 54 Stat. 1221).
Words "upon conviction thereof" were omitted as unnecessary, since punishment cannot be imposed until a conviction is secured.
Minor changes were made in phraseology.
2001—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 107–56 substituted "20 years" for "ten years" and inserted ", and, if death results to any person, shall be imprisoned for any term of years or for life" before period at end.
1996—Pub. L. 104–294 substituted ", or" for "or" in section catchline.
1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–322 substituted "fined under this title" for "fined not more than $10,000".
1954—Act Sept. 3, 1954, inserted conspiracy provisions.