Opinion ID: 449275
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: COUNT III: Extraterritorial application of 18 U.S.C. Sec. 912

Text: 26 The district judge implicitly determined that section 912 should be given extraterritorial application to acts of Aguilar which occurred in Mexico. Aguilar's impersonation of an INS official before Antonio Sandoval included offers to sell visas to Antonio's siblings and to sell him two INS-seized automobiles. United States v. Bowman, 260 U.S. 94, 97-98, 43 S.Ct. 39, 40-41, 67 L.Ed. 149 (1922), structures our consideration of Aguilar's argument that section 912 should not prohibit Aguilar's conduct in Mexico. 27 In Bowman, the Supreme Court announced that extraterritorial application should be given to laws which punish fraud perpetrated upon the United States, for otherwise courts would grant immunity for frauds as easily committed by citizens on the high seas and in foreign countries as at home. Id. at 97-98, 43 S.Ct. at 41. On the other hand, where Congress intended a law to punish only crimes against private individuals, the law may not be extended to encompass crimes occurring outside the territorial jurisdiction of the United States. Id. 28 Section 912 should punish offenses like Aguilar's even if committed abroad, for impersonation of United States government officials clearly implicates the authority of the nation. The Supreme Court so held concerning this statute, in another context: It is the aim of the section not merely to protect innocent persons from actual loss through reliance upon false assumptions of Federal authority, but to maintain the general good repute and dignity of the [government] service itself. United States v. Barnow, 239 U.S. 74, 80, 36 S.Ct. 19, 22, 60 L.Ed. 155 (1915); United States v. Lepowitch, 318 U.S. 702, 704, 63 S.Ct. 914, 916, 87 L.Ed. 1091 (1943). Aguilar's argument that his actions are more properly characterized as mere petty theft is without merit. 29 Our conclusion that Aguilar's impersonation was prohibited by section 912 is reinforced by the fact that he acted as an immigration officer. The Ninth Circuit has found, under the Bowman analysis, that forging immigration materials violates United States law even though the acts took place in Mexico. United States v. Castillo-Felix, 539 F.2d 9, 12-13 (9th Cir.1976). An impersonation in Canada to obtain a United States visa has been found to violate United States law. United States v. Khalje, 658 F.2d 90 (2d Cir.1981). In considering impersonation of United States Army personnel in Germany, the Fourth Circuit reached the same result. United States v. Birch, 470 F.2d 808 (4th Cir.1972), cert. denied, 411 U.S. 931, 93 S.Ct. 1897, 36 L.Ed.2d 390 (1973). 30 The judgment of conviction on Count III is affirmed.