Harvard Researcher Indicted on Additional Charges for Smuggling Frog Embryos into U.S.

Kseniia Petrova, a Russian-born scientist who was a researcher at Harvard University. (Polina Pugacheva via AP, File)

A Harvard Medical School researcher has been indicted on additional federal charges stemming from allegations that she smuggled clawed frog embryos into the United States from France.

Kseniia Petrova, a 30-year-old Russian-born scientist specializing in cancer research, was indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury in Boston. The new charges include one count of concealment of a material fact, one count of making a false statement, and one count of smuggling goods into the United States. The indictment follows an initial smuggling charge filed in May.

Petrova remains free on pretrial release as the case proceeds.

The charges relate to an incident in February when Petrova returned from a vacation in France. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Boston Logan International Airport questioned her after she allegedly failed to declare a package of frog embryo samples obtained from a lab during her trip.

Federal officials allege that Petrova knowingly lied about carrying biological materials and intended to smuggle the samples through customs without proper declaration. Authorities stated on social media that the researcher did not report the substances, which are regulated for import.

In a prior interview, Petrova denied any intent to deceive authorities, claiming she did not realize the embryos needed to be declared and had no intention of violating U.S. regulations.

Following her initial arrest, immigration officials detained Petrova in Vermont and later transferred her to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Louisiana. She was released after a judge ruled that the visa cancellation and detention were unlawful.

If convicted, Petrova faces significant penalties. The smuggling charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charges of making a false statement and concealing a material fact each carry up to five years in prison and additional fines of up to $250,000.