The American representative David Schweikert has introduced legislation that grants the president of the president to take action against crypto criminals who are active abroad.
The bill, submitted as a house resolution (HR 4988), evokes the rarely used concept of “Letters of Marque and Reprisal”, a legal instrument that dates from maritime warfare.
Historically, such letters authorized private owners to attack enemy ships and grasp during wartime, offering governments a way to take revenge on foreign aggression.
With the proposal of Schweikert, the mechanism would extend to the digital domain. The legislation enables private individuals or companies to act on behalf of the United States to reclaim stolen assets or to disrupt cyber criminal activities aimed at American interests.
These private actors can be instructed to use “all means reasonably necessary” to grab assets or to hold foreign actors, including those linked to cyber crime networks sponsored by the government.
In the meantime, any letter issued under the measure would require a security bond to enforce the accountability and to comply with its guidelines.
Schweikert said:
“Our current tools do not mean pace. This legislation enables us to effectively involve these criminals and bring responsibility and refund to the digital battlefield by using the same constitutional mechanism that once protected the maritime interests of our nation.”
The proposal is currently being assessed by the House Committee for Foreign Affairs and must pass both rooms before it can reach the president for approval. If established, it would create a completely new framework for American involvement in cross-border crypto crime enforcement.
Potential impact
If HR 4988 became law, the US could shift from mainly trust in collecting information to the active deployment of private actors in cyber crime interventions.
This movement comes in the midst of growing frustration with the increase in high-profile crypto hacks. In 2025 alone, the State sponsored groups such as the Lazarus Group in North Korea have large attacks, including an operation of $ 1.5 billion on Bybit in February and breaches on other important platforms such as India’s Coindcx.
Legal enforcement agencies have difficulty arresting the perpetrators or retrieving stolen funds, to expose crypto investors and the platforms.
Given this, Schweikert said:
“Americans deserve protection against digital predators who operate outdated laws and hide in foreign areas of law. This proposal uses innovation and constitutional authority to respond to the modern crisis of cyber crime.”