Prosecutors have moved to drop charges against Kseniia Petrova, a Harvard researcher accused of smuggling frog embryos into the U.S. The case, seen as part of a broader crackdown on immigration under the Trump administration, was dismissed after a federal judge granted her broad discovery rights. The government cited concerns over revealing sensitive CBP operations as the reason for dropping the case, denying claims of political overreach. Petrova's lawyer, William Fick, called the dismissal a victory, emphasizing that her intent was solely to advance medical research on aging.
The incident began in February 2025 when Petrova was detained at Boston’s Logan Airport after undeclared biological samples were found in her luggage. She had been asked by her Harvard supervisor to bring samples from a lab in France while on vacation. Her visa was canceled on the spot, leading to her detention and eventual release on bail.
In April, a Vermont judge ruled her visa cancellation illegal, calling it arbitrary and without legal procedure.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing