A Russian citizen and Harvard scientist, Kseniia Petrova, was stopped in February by Customs and Border Protection agents at Boston Logan International Airport as she returned from a vacation to Paris. A law enforcement canine alerted its handler about Petrova’s duffel bag, prompting the bag to be brought to an agricultural secondary inspection area for further examination.
She initially denied carrying biological materials, but the Justice Department stated in a press release that the search of her bags revealed undeclared frog embryos and embryonic samples. All biological products require a permit for entry and require the individual to make a declaration to Customs & Border Protection at the port of first arrival.
During an interview under oath, Petrova claimed to be uncertain about the policy regarding the declaration of biological material when entering the United States. However, the charging documents reveal text messages between her and colleagues which state, “if you bring samples or antibody back, make sure you get the permission, etc. Like that link I sent to leon-/group chat about frog embryos because TSA went through my bags at customs in Boston.” Another message reads: “what is your plan to pass the American Customs with samples? This is the most delicate place of the trajectory,” Petrova responded to a different colleague, “No plan yet. I won’t be able to swallow them.” Petrova worked at Harvard’s Kirschner Lab and had agreed, per her supervisor at Harvard Medical School’s request, to carry back samples of frog embryos from an affiliate laboratory in Paris.
According to court filings by Petrova’s attorney, Gregory Romanovsky, the biological materials were “non-hazardous, noninfectious, and non-toxic” and she was transporting them at the request of the leader of her research group. The Harvard lab is investigating the earliest stages of cell division, in hopes of staving off damage resulting from aging or disease.
The scientist was advised that she was ineligible for entry to the United States. Petrova then withdrew her application for admission and was taken into custody by immigration officials, who began deportation proceedings — a divisive decision, as usually the offense would be treated as a minor infraction, punishable with a fine. She spent four months in detention, during which time she was transferred to detention centers in Vermont, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and briefly, Rhode Island. Petrova was freed on bail from federal custody on Thursday by a magistrate judge in Boston.
Lawyers for the government stated they intend to deport Petrova to Russia, where she had fled in 2022 for political reasons. She said that if she returns, she fears arrest or even death because of her activism and opposition to Russia’s war on Ukraine. Her next appearance in court is scheduled for June 18, 2025, for a probable cause hearing related to the criminal smuggling charge.
