Justice Department charges Russian Harvard researcher with smuggling biological samples into Boston

The Justice Department on Wednesday charged Harvard researcher Kseniia Petrova, who is originally from Russia and fled the country in 2022, with smuggling over failing to disclose scientific samples she had in her luggage earlier this year.

The charging documents accuse Petrova of smuggling clawed frog embryos and embryonic samples into the U.S. through Logan International Airport in Boston in February, stating she failed to declare the material and get a permit.

Petrova allegedly told investigators that she was not sure whether she had to declare the material when coming into the U.S. but text messages on her phone revealed a colleague allegedly reminding the scientist to declare them.

"If you bring samples or antibody back, make sure you get the permission etc,'" one text message read. “What is your plan to pass the American Customs with samples? This is the most delicate place of the trajectory.”  

Petrova admitted to the colleague that she did not have a plan for getting the material into the U.S. because she could not "swallow" the samples. 

The revelation occurred after Petrova attended an immigration hearing in Vermont, where the federal judge scheduled a bail hearing for the scientist later this month, per the New York Times.

Attorneys for Petrova said the incident would normally result in a fine and be treated as a small infraction, but a Customs officer canceled her J-1 visa and arranged for her deportation. 

“Almost immediately after the hearing, we were blindsided by the unsealing of a meritless criminal complaint,” Petrova's attorney Gregory Romanovsky said. “The timing of Kseniia’s transfer out of ICE custody into criminal custody is especially suspect because it happened right after the judge set a bail hearing for her release.”

The criminal charge will now carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a term of up to five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.