The Travel Act does specify three kinds of illegal activity: (1) any enterprise involving gambling, liquor on which the excise tax has not been paid, narcotics, controlled substances, or prostitution offenses; (2) bribery, extortion, or arson; and (3) any illegal monetary transaction.

The Travel Act (18 U.S.C. § 1952) is a federal criminal statute that prohibits individuals from traveling in interstate or foreign commerce, or using any "facility" of such commerce (like the mail or the internet), with the intent to distribute the proceeds of any unlawful activity. Specifically, it targets the promotion, management, or facilitation of illegal business enterprises involving gambling, narcotics, prostitution, or extortion. In 2026, the Department of Justice frequently uses the Travel Act as a "hook" to prosecute domestic and international commercial bribery cases that might not be covered by the FCPA. The act makes it a separate federal crime to simply cross state lines or use a phone to further an underlying state-level crime. Penalties are severe, ranging from five years for general facilitation to life imprisonment if a crime of violence resulting in death is involved during the travel.