18 U.S.C. § 2332f – Bombings of Public Places, Government Facilities, and Transportation Systems
Section 2332f targets bombings (and similar lethal devices) used against public places, government facilities, public transportation systems, and infrastructure.
This statute is treaty-driven and intentionally broad, built to cover both domestic and international terrorism scenarios.
Core prohibited conduct.
It criminalizes unlawfully delivering, placing, detonating, or discharging:
- An explosive, or
- Any “other lethal device” (including chemical, biological, or radiological devices)
The government must show intent either to:
- Cause death or serious bodily injury, or
- Cause extensive destruction likely to result in major economic loss
Attempts and conspiracies are treated the same as completed acts.
Jurisdiction is the real centerpiece.
This statute is built around international reach. Jurisdiction exists based on:
- Nationality of the perpetrator or victim
- Location of the offense (inside or outside the U.S.)
- Use of foreign-flag vessels or aircraft
- Attacks on embassies or diplomatic premises
- Offenses intended to coerce the U.S. or another state
- The offender being found in the United States
It functions as a plug-in statute for cross-border terrorism cases that don’t fit neatly into domestic-only provisions.
Penalties.
Rather than listing its own penalty scheme, § 2332f imports penalties from § 2332a:
- Any term of years or life imprisonment
- Death penalty if death results
This makes it one of the highest-exposure terrorism statutes in Title 18.
Key exclusions.
The statute explicitly does not apply to:
- Lawful military activities during armed conflict
- Official acts of a state’s military forces
- Purely domestic offenses where everyone involved is a U.S. citizen and no interstate or foreign commerce interest exists
Why it matters in practice.
Prosecutors often pair § 2332f with § 2332b or material support statutes. It supplies jurisdiction and penalty weight when the facts involve international actors, foreign victims, or diplomatic targets—even if the explosive never detonates.
This is not a filler statute. When it appears, the case is already in the top tier of federal exposure.
If you are being investigated or charged under a federal terrorism statute, call (314) 900-HELP or
contact our criminal defense attorneys to discuss your situation.
