Federal Crimes Get Up to 10 Extra Years: New Bill Targets Kidnapping and Assaults Coordinated by Foreign Governments

The DETERRENCE Act is a straightforward, heavy-hitting piece of legislation aimed squarely at foreign governments that try to use proxies to commit crimes on U.S. soil. This bill doesn’t create new federal crimes; instead, it significantly increases the maximum prison sentences for a handful of very serious existing federal crimes—like kidnapping, murder-for-hire, stalking, and assaults against federal officials—if the crime was committed knowingly at the direction of or in coordination with a foreign government or its agent. Essentially, if a foreign state is pulling the strings, the penalties for the person doing the dirty work are about to get much, much worse. The sentence enhancements range from 30 months up to 10 additional years, depending on the crime and the resulting harm.

The Foreign Nexus: When Crimes Become National Security Threats

This bill is all about adding a national security multiplier to certain criminal acts. Take federal kidnapping law (Title 18, Section 1201): If you are convicted of kidnapping, and prosecutors can prove you did it because a foreign government or its agent directed or worked with you on it, the judge can add up to 10 extra years to your sentence (Sec. 2). The same 10-year enhancement applies to the most serious crimes against the President, Vice President, or other protected officials—if the attempt on their life or the assault was coordinated with a foreign power (Sec. 7). This means the person who carries out the crime faces a massive increase in prison time just because of who they were taking orders from.

Beefing Up Penalties for Murder-for-Hire and Stalking

The DETERRENCE Act also targets plots that involve using interstate commerce for murder-for-hire (Sec. 3). If such a plot is directed by a foreign government, the sentence can be increased by up to 5 years. If someone actually gets hurt, that enhancement jumps to up to 10 years. Similarly, federal stalking laws get a major update (Sec. 5). If stalking is committed at the direction of a foreign government and results in serious bodily injury, the offender could face up to 5 extra years. If the stalking leads to the victim’s death, that’s up to 10 additional years. Even in cases of stalking that don't result in physical injury, the foreign government link still adds up to 30 months (2.5 years) to the sentence.

Protecting Federal Workers and Their Families

One of the most relatable impacts of this bill is the enhanced protection for federal employees and their families (Sec. 4 and Sec. 6). Currently, assaulting a federal official carries a serious penalty. Under this bill, if that assault is proven to be directed by a foreign government, the sentence can be increased by up to 10 years (Sec. 6). The bill also enhances penalties for threatening or injuring a federal official's family member to influence or retaliate against the official (Sec. 4). If that crime is tied to a foreign government and involves serious injury or a dangerous weapon, the sentence can be increased by up to 10 years. This provision directly addresses the growing concern that foreign actors might target the families of diplomats, intelligence officers, or other federal personnel to exert pressure.

The Real-World Impact: What This Means on the Ground

For federal prosecutors, this bill provides a significant legal deterrent, giving them much stronger leverage against individuals acting as proxies for foreign adversaries. The intent is clear: make the cost of collaborating with a foreign government on criminal activity prohibitively high. However, the real-world challenge lies in proving that crucial link—that the person knowingly committed the crime at the direction of a foreign government or its agent. For the individual convicted, the difference between a standard sentence and one enhanced by 5 or 10 years is enormous. While the goal of deterring foreign interference is widely beneficial, the mechanism is purely punitive, significantly increasing the time behind bars for those caught in the crosshairs of state-sponsored crime.