Harvard scientist accused of smuggling frog embryos, organic supplies to US; trial begins

Jun 19, 2025 10:08 AM IST Federal officers accused Kseniia Petrova of mendacity about “carrying substances” and alleged that Petrova deliberate to smuggle the frog embryos by customs. In a US court docket listening to on Wednesday, attorneys argued over whether or not a Harvard researcher accused of smuggling frog embryos introduced “biological materials” within the US.  Kseniia Petrova mentioned that she didn’t know the objects wanted to be declared and was not making an attempt to sneak something into the nation. (Reuters) Russian-born scientist named Kseniia Petrova, aged 30, conducting most cancers analysis for Harvard Medical School, appeared in Massachusetts federal court docket, ABC News reported. In February, Petrova was questioned by US Customs and Border Protection at Boston Logan International Airport, whereas she was coming back from a trip in France. Earlier, she had stopped at a lab specialising in splicing superfine sections of frog embryos and obtained a package deal of samples for analysis. Federal officers accused her of mendacity about “carrying substances” into the nation and alleged that Petrova deliberate to smuggle the embryos by customs with out declaring them. Petrova not conscious she wanted to declare itemsMeanwhile, Petrova instructed Associated Press information company in an interview that she didn’t know the objects wanted to be declared and was not making an attempt to sneak something into the nation. She additionally mentioned that her visa was being canceled and detained by immigration officers in Vermont after her preliminary arrest. After submitting a petition for her launch, she was briefly despatched to an ICE facility in Louisiana, after which a decide dominated the immigration officers’ actions have been illegal. In May, she was charged with one rely of smuggling. The Homeland Security Investigations agent, Brian Goldsworthy, who wrote the affidavit in assist of the prison grievance in opposition to Petrova, testified that Petrova wouldn’t have been allowed to go away the airport had she declared the frog embryos in her baggage, ABC News reported. He additionally mentioned that Customs and Border Protection agriculture consultants and a federal laboratory that reviewed the samples deemed them to be organic materials, ABC News reported. In Petrova’s protection, her lawyer argued that it was unclear what definition of organic materials, authorities was working underneath. After the listening to, each side will now have the possibility to submit briefs to the decide.  If convicted of the fees, Petrova may resist 20 years in jail and a positive of as much as $250,000. (With AP Inputs)