§ 383. — Resistance of pirates by merchant vessels.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 33USC383]
TITLE 33--NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS
CHAPTER 7--REGULATIONS FOR THE SUPPRESSION OF PIRACY
Sec. 383. Resistance of pirates by merchant vessels
The commander and crew of any merchant vessel of the United States,
owned wholly, or in part, by a citizen thereof, may oppose and defend
against any aggression, search, restraint, depredation, or seizure,
which shall be attempted upon such vessel, or upon any other vessel so
owned, by the commander or crew of any armed vessel whatsoever, not
being a public armed vessel of some nation in amity with the United
States, and may subdue and capture the same; and may also retake any
vessel so owned which may have been captured by the commander or crew of
any such armed vessel, and send the same into any port of the United
States.
(R.S. Sec. 4295.)
Codification
R.S. Sec. 4295 derived from acts Mar. 3, 1819, ch. 77, Sec. 3, 3
Stat. 513; Jan. 30, 1823, ch. 7, 3 Stat. 721.
