Federal authorities have accused Kseniia Petrova, a bioinformatician at the Kirschner Lab at Harvard Medical School, of knowingly violating the law as part of an ongoing effort to deport the Russian scientist. Petrova was detained at Boston Logan International Airport on February 16 while returning from a trip to Paris, according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Her attorney, Gregory Romanovsky, told Fox News that Petrova was transporting frog embryos at the request of a professor at a French lab collaborating with Harvard. Romanovsky claimed that the sample was collected in Paris and intended for Harvard, and emphasized that Petrova was unaware of the requirement to declare the materials at customs.
However, DHS stated that Petrova was lawfully detained after allegedly lying to federal officers about the substances she was carrying. A subsequent K9 inspection reportedly uncovered undeclared petri dishes, containers of unknown substances, and loose vials of embryonic frog cells, all lacking proper permits. DHS further alleged that messages on Petrova‘s phone revealed a deliberate plan to smuggle the materials through customs without declaration.
Romanovsky disputed this narrative, arguing that failure to declare an item at customs does not warrant visa cancellation. “CBP was authorized to seize the item and issue a fine,” he said. “Instead, they chose to cancel Ms. Petrova’s visa and detain her.”
Petrova, who was previously detained in Russia for anti-war protests following the invasion of Ukraine, is now seeking asylum in the U.S. Her attorney stated that she faces the threat of immediate arrest in Russia due to her political activism and opposition to the war. Romanovsky also challenged her detention, asserting that Petrova is neither a flight risk nor a danger to the community.
Currently, Petrova is being held at the Richwood Detention Facility in Louisiana. An immigration court hearing related to her asylum case is scheduled for May 7 in Jena, Louisiana. Additionally, her attorney is contesting CBP’s visa cancellation, with a federal court hearing initially set for June 9 in the District of Vermont. Romanovsky plans to request an expedited hearing.
Romanovsky emphasized, “Her continued detention serves no purpose and wastes limited government resources.”
**Sources:**
[Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com)
[DHS Statement on X](https://twitter.com/DHSgov)