
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
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[Laws in effect as of January 2, 2001]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 2, 2001 and January 28, 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.
