Russian Harvard Scientist Kseniia Petrova 'knowingly' Smuggled Illicit Items To Us: Feds

Federal authorities said Harvard's Kseniia Petrova "knowingly collapsed nan law" amid their ongoing push to deport nan Russian scientist.

Petrova, a bioinformatician astatine the Kirschner Lab astatine Harvard Medical School, was detained astatine Boston Logan International Airport connected Feb. 16 arsenic she returned from a travel to Paris.

Her attorney, Gregory Romanovsky, told Fox News that Petrova was bringing backmost frog embryos astatine nan petition of a professor astatine a French laboratory pinch which nan Ivy League assemblage was collaborating. According to Romanovsky, nan sample was picked up successful Paris and was expected to beryllium brought to Harvard and that Petrova was unaware she needed to declare them astatine customs.

"The individual was lawfully detained aft lying to national officers astir carrying substances into nan country," nan Department of Homeland Security (DHS) wrote successful a station connected X connected Tuesday. "A consequent K9 inspection uncovered undeclared petri dishes, containers of chartless substances, and loose vials of embryonic frog cells, each without due permits."

Kseniia Petrova, a Russian intelligence moving astatine Harvard Medical School, was detained astatine Boston Logan International Airport connected Feb. 16 arsenic she was returning from a travel to Paris. (Attorney Gregory Romanovsky)

The feds said messages recovered connected nan 30-year-old's telephone revealed she planned to smuggle nan materials done customs without declaring them. 

"She knowingly collapsed nan rule and took deliberate steps to evade it," DHS alleged. 

Petrova's lawyer has pushed backmost connected that narrative, saying that failing to state an entity astatine customs is not capable grounds to cancel her visa. Rather, officials should person imposed a good and seized nan object, he said.

"CBP was authorized to prehend nan point and rumor a fine," he said. "Instead, they chose to cancel Ms. Petrova’s visa and detain her."

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Kseniia Petrova, a bioinformatician astatine nan Kirschner Lab astatine Harvard Medical School, was bringing backmost frog embryos astatine nan petition of a professor astatine a French laboratory pinch which Harvard was collaborating, her lawyer told Fox News. (Gregory Romanovsky)

Romanovsky said that caused reliable fear, and they were past seeking asylum for Petrova, who had antecedently been detained successful Russia for anti-war protests soon aft nan attack connected Ukraine. 

"She faces nan threat of contiguous apprehension owed to her anterior governmental activism and outspoken guidance to Russia's penetration of Ukraine," he said. 

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Petrova is being held astatine nan Richwood Detention Facility successful Louisiana and has an migration tribunal proceeding scheduled for May 7 successful Jena, Louisiana, related to her asylum case.

Kseniia Petrova is presently being held astatine nan Richwood Detention Facility successful Louisiana. (Facebook)

Her lawyer was besides challenging CBP's actions astatine nan airport: nan visa cancellation. A national tribunal proceeding was scheduled successful that lawsuit for June 9 successful nan District of Vermont, but nan scheme was to inquire them to expedite nan hearing.

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"ICE is required to detain individuals ... only if they are a formation consequence aliases a threat to nan community. Ms. Petrova is neither," Romanovsky said. "Her continued detention serves nary intent and wastes constricted authorities resources."