Russian Harvard Scientist Charged With Smuggling Frog Embryos Into US

Kseniia Petrova, a Russian-born scientist and Harvard Medical School researcher, has been charged with smuggling frog embryos into the United States after failing to declare the samples at Boston Logan International Airport. She was detained in February and transferred from immigration detention to federal criminal custody in Louisiana following the charges, which carry a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Petrova's lawyer, Gregory Romanovsky, argues that the smuggling charge is meritless and alleges that the timing of her transfer to criminal custody was intended to undermine her chances of release on bail and justify deportation efforts. Petrova fears deportation to Russia, citing past arrests for anti-war protests and political persecution, and has voiced concerns about her safety if returned. Her research focuses on aging and cellular chemistry, with significant contributions to studies that have stalled in her absence. A bail hearing is scheduled for late May, while the government pursues both criminal charges and deportation proceedings.