Europe EditionDetained Russian-born Harvard scientist criminally charged with smuggling
- Harvard researcher Kseniia Petrova was charged in February 2025 with smuggling undeclared frog embryos into the United States at Boston Logan Airport.
- Petrova’s visa was canceled after U.S. Customs and Border Protection found undeclared scientific samples in her luggage during her return from France.
- She was detained and transferred to an ICE facility in Louisiana while awaiting a judge's decision on her deportation amid claims of wrongful detention.
- Experts describe the chemically fixed frog embryos as harmless and commonly found in educational labs, while Petrova asserts she did not intend to smuggle and was unaware of declaration requirements.
- The case raises concerns about federal immigration enforcement's impact on international scientists and may influence U.S. Scientific collaboration and talent retention.
132 Articles
132 Articles
Researcher accused of smuggling frog embryos is released from ICE custody in Louisiana
A federal judge in Vermont on Wednesday released a Russian-born scientist and Harvard University researcher from immigration custody as she deals with a criminal charge of smuggling frog embryos into the United States.
A U.S. federal judge on Wednesday ordered the parole of a Russian scientist working at the prestigious Harvard University, who fled abroad for fear of political persecution and whom Republican Donald Trump’s government intends to repatriate. Kseniia Petrova, a researcher at Harvard Medical School, was arrested by ICE officers in February at Boston Airport when she was returning from a trip to Paris. She was accused of not declaring the biologica…
Judge: Researcher charged with smuggling frog embryos was unlawfully detained
A federal judge in Vermont on Wednesday released a Russian-born scientist and Harvard University researcher from immigration custody as she deals with a criminal charge of smuggling frog embryos into the United States. Colleagues and academics also testified on Kseniia Petrova’s behalf, saying she is doing valuable research to advance cures for cancer. “It is excellent science,” Michael West, a scientist and entrepreneur in the biotech industry,…
Associated Press News
Judge: Harvard researcher charged with smuggling frog embryos was unlawfully detained by ICE
A federal judge in Vermont has granted a Russian-born scientist and Harvard University researcher release from immigration custody as she deals with a criminal charge of smuggling frog embryos into the U.S.
Harvard Scientist Charged After Allegedly Trying to Smuggle Biological Material Into US
A Harvard scientist from Russia has allegedly run afoul of the law. Kseniia Petrova, a 31-year-old Russian citizen, has been charged with one count of smuggling goods into the United […] The post Harvard Scientist Charged After Allegedly Trying to Smuggle Biological Material Into US appeared first on The Western Journal.
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